Red Castle, Angus facts for kids
The Red Castle of Lunan is an old, ruined castle found on the coast of Angus, Scotland. It's about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of a town called Montrose. This castle is a type of fortified house, which means it was built to be strong and protect people.
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History of Red Castle
Building the First Castle
The very first building on this spot was made for King William the Lion in the late 1100s. He wanted a strong place to help stop Viking attacks on Lunan Bay. King William often stayed here when he went hunting.
In 1194, King William gave the castle and the land around it to Walter de Berkeley, who was a very important person called the Great Chamberlain of Scotland. After Walter died, the castle went to Ingram de Balliol, who had married Walter's daughter. Ingram rebuilt the castle, and his family owned it for two generations.
The Castle's Red Color
The castle is called rubeum castrum in old Latin papers from 1286. This means "Red Castle." It got this name because it was built from reddish sandstone, which is common in this area.
Changes in Ownership
Later, the castle was taken by King Robert the Bruce. In 1328, he gave it to the Earl of Ross.
A Dramatic Siege
In 1579, a man named James Gray married Lady Elizabeth Bethune, who owned the castle. However, James Gray fell in love with Lady Beaton's daughter. When Lady Beaton found out, she made him leave.
Because of this, James Gray and his brother laid siege to the castle for two years! They eventually burned the people inside out. King James VI ordered some powerful people, like John Erskine of Dun, to use special machines to get Gray out of the castle. The people of Dundee also helped.
In 1582, Andrew Gray was forgiven for setting the castle on fire and other wrongdoings.
Decline of the Castle
In 1590, there were reports that a lot of gold had been brought to the area near the castle. This gold was supposedly to help a religious cause in Scotland.
After this, the castle slowly started to fall apart. Even though parts of it still had a roof until about 1770, it was never again a home for important noble families. The last person to live there was a local minister named James Rait.
What Red Castle Looks Like Today
Red Castle stands on high ground, looking out over Lunan Bay and the North Sea. Just north of the castle is where the Lunan Water river meets the sea, with the small village of Lunan nearby.
Only a small part of the castle's main tower from the 1400s is still standing. Also, a thick, 2-meter (6.6 ft) eastern wall, called a curtain wall, remains. The tower is in a very dangerous state, as it sits right on the edge of the hill above Lunan Bay. In 1999, it was said to be "in imminent danger of collapse."
You can easily see the castle from the A92 road and the train line that goes from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. The parts that are left are from the 15th-century keep (the main tower) and the surrounding wall, which might be from the 1200s.
Below the castle, there's an old garbage dump (called a midden) that is slowly wearing away. This has revealed many old items that are now kept in the Montrose Museum. The castle is protected as a scheduled monument, which means it's an important historical site.
Images for kids
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Ruins of the castle's main tower
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Aerial Photograph of the red castle at lunan bay
