Powrie Castle facts for kids
Powrie Castle is an old castle from the 1500s that is now mostly ruins. You can find it in the north of Dundee, Scotland. In 1971, it was made a scheduled monument, which means it's a very important historical site that is protected. One part of the castle, built in the early 1600s, is now a separate, strong house. It has been turned into a private home and is also a Category A listed building, meaning it's a very important building protected by law.
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History of Powrie Castle
The land where Powrie Castle stands was first known as Wester Powrie. In 1412, a man named Thomas Fothringham bought this land. He built a castle there, but we don't know much about what it looked like.
Building the Castle
In 1492, a group called the Scrymgeours destroyed the first castle. The castle you see today was likely built to replace it in the 1500s. It was made from pink and light brown stones. The castle might have been damaged during a time of conflict called the Rough Wooing. If it was, it was fixed afterwards.
After this time, the castle was made bigger. New parts were added on the east and north sides for living. Not much is left of the east part today. It was once known as "Lady Kinneard's quarters" or "the ladies quarter." The north part was built in 1604 by another Thomas Fothringham. He married Barbara Scott in 1593.
Today, the east part and the western wall are gone. This makes the castle look like two separate buildings with a courtyard in the middle. The Fothringham family seems to have lived in the main building until at least 1684.
Restoring the North Wing
Later, the National Trust for Scotland held a competition. They wanted ideas to restore the north part of the castle. Gillian Strickland won this competition. As a prize, she was given ownership of that part of the castle. Between 1978 and 1981, an architect named D. C. Leslie helped turn it into a private home.
What Powrie Castle Looks Like
The main part of Powrie Castle was built with two floors. It had a special "Z-plan" shape. This means it was a rectangle with round towers at two opposite corners. These were at the northeast and southwest. The western part of the building has fallen down over time.
The north part of the castle was built in a more renaissance style. This style was popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. It has a strong, arched ceiling on the ground floor. There is also a small round tower at its northwest corner.
