Methven Castle facts for kids
Methven Castle is a historic house from the 1600s. It is located near the village of Methven in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. This beautiful castle has a long and interesting past.
Contents
The Castle's Story: Who Lived Here?
Methven Castle has been home to many important people over the centuries.
Early Owners and Royal Visits
The land where Methven Castle stands was first owned by the Mowbray family, starting in the 1100s. Later, the land was taken by the Scottish crown and given to Walter Stewart.
The castle faced a siege in 1444, which means it was attacked and surrounded. It was also visited by King James II in 1450. Later, King James IV visited the castle many times in the 1490s.
Queen Margaret Tudor's Home
Methven Castle became a special home for Margaret Tudor (1489-1541). She was the queen of James IV, King of Scots. Margaret was also the daughter of Henry VII of England. She moved to Methven Castle after she married Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven in 1528. Queen Margaret Tudor passed away at Methven Castle on October 18, 1541.
After the third Lord Methven died without children in 1584, King James VI gave Methven to his friend, the Duke of Lennox. In 1664, a family named Smythe bought the estate.
Building and Changes Over Time
The castle you see today was built in 1664. It was designed by a skilled builder named John Mylne. Parts of older buildings might be included in its structure. The Smythe family owned the castle for a long time, adding new parts to it and improving the grounds.
In 1923, the castle was sold and changed owners several times. In 1984, a big project began to restore the castle. Some parts that were added later, like the east and west wings, were taken down. This left the original 17th-century house, which was given a new roof. Today, Methven Castle is owned by David Murdoch and is a very important historic building.
What Does Methven Castle Look Like?
Methven Castle is a square building with four floors. It has thin, round towers at each corner. These towers have special pointed roofs that look like an "ogee" shape. The whole building is covered in a rough plaster called "harl."
The front of the castle has two unique stepped gables, which are the triangular parts of the wall at the end of a roof. These gables are connected by a decorative railing. An east wing was added first, and then a western part with a large bay window was built around 1815. This part was likely designed by James Gillespie Graham. He also drew plans to rebuild the whole castle, but those plans were never carried out. The castle also used to have a clock tower, but it was taken down around 1965. Inside, most of the castle was changed in 1800, and only one staircase remains from the original design.
Exploring the Castle Grounds
The land around Methven Castle was designed as a park starting in the late 1700s.
Gardens and Woodlands
David Smythe, Lord Methven planted many trees in the woodlands. A walled garden was built in 1796. In 1830, a special garden called a pinetum was created. This garden was filled with conifer trees, like pines and firs. It was the first pinetum in Scotland! David's son, William, continued to make the estate bigger and built glasshouses for plants.
Even though the woodlands were cared for into the 1900s, the gardens were not maintained well. Many trees were cut down in the 1950s, including a lot of the pinetum. The biggest tree still standing is the Pepperwell Oak. In 1985, it measured about 6.7 meters (22 feet) around its trunk. In 1883, people thought this tree was already 400 years old! The parks and gardens at Methven Castle are listed in a national record of important gardens in Scotland.
