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Laird's house, still in use, steading and lodge. It was occupied by the Guthries until 1670, after the land was sold to John Guthrie and Isobel Ogilvy, husband and wife, by Cardinal Beaton in 1545. The exact 16th century date of the original construction is disputed. It could have been built when it was first bought, but later dates are more likely, with 1553 as one suggested date and 1583 another, as suggested by a datestone on the stair turret. It was later altered in 1621, the 18th century, and again in 1893 by Hay and Henderson, architects. The main block is 3-storeys and attic, with crow-stepped gables, and is oriented northwest-southeast, with towers to the north and south corners and slate roofs. On the 1st edition OS map, there is a rectangular court projecting northeast, with the northwest wall flush with the northwest elevation of the main block, and the southeast wall re-joining the main block roughly half way down the northeast elevation. On the 2nd edition OS map, the major alterations from 1893 are visible. To the east of the main block, a large wing has been constructed, projecting beyond the southeast elevation of the original block, and its rear taking up a large amount of the court, although a small court remains with an opening in the northwest wall. To the northwest of the house is a U-shaped steading, open to the southwest. On the 2nd edition OS map, the steading remains the same, but there is a rectangular building in front of the southwest opening, and another small partially roofed building to the west. To the southeast of the house is a lodge, which was built in the 19th century and is not visible on the 1st edition OS map. Presently, the range remains as it was, although the buildings seen on the 2nd edition OS map have gone, with three new buildings to the north of the steading. A rectangular building, oriented northeast-southwest has been built to the north of the house. The lodge, which was rectangular on the 2nd edition OS map, had been greatly expanded, with a new wing built on its southwestern face that projects beyond the limits of the original lodge. The main house itself has pink harling to the variously dated constructions. It includes some re-used material, which was probably originally from the house, but had been moved to a neighbouring steading before being brought back to the house. The southwest front of the earlier block has three oval gunloops, with a slit window above the right-hand gunloop, all from the 16th century. There are two later larger windows, inserted to the left and centre of the elevation. The centre window is in place of a 17th or early 18th century central doorway, which temporarily replaced the original entrance in the tower, before being blocked up again in 1893. Above this window is a decorative stone, which was probably originally above the doorway. There is a central panel with the Royal Arms of James IV carved into it. There are flanking panels, displaying the date 1621 and the motto LAVS DEO, and the initials of Henrie Guthrie and Jean Lindsay, husband and wife. There is also a dormerhead with a rose flanked by thistles, possibly a celebration of the Union of Crown in 1603. Above the left window there is a re-used weathered dormerhead, probably inserted in 1893. It has human figures displayed at the bottom corners, one of which is Diana, symbolic of Chastity. On the first floor, there are three tall 16th century windows with moulded surrounds. Between two of the windows is a stone displaying the coat of arms and initials of George Chaplin and the date 1721, the year in which he bought the estate. On the second floor, there are three windows, smaller than those on the first floor, and with a string course framing the windows. Above this are three dormers sitting behind a wallhead with wide crenellations, which was added in 1893. The tower in the south corner of the earlier block is round at the first two floors, with a corbelled rectangular top floor, which is oriented diagonally to the main block. The tower was lowered in the 17th or 18th century to the height of the wallhead of the main block, and the heightened to its original height again in 1893. In the west facing elevation at the ground floor of the tower, below the stair tower (see below), is the original 16th century entrance with a moulded surround. Beside the stair tower is a first floor window with cows' heads carved under the ends of the cill. Above this is a smaller second floor window. The south elevation of the tower is plain, with two gunloops in the first two floors, and a central window within the crowstepped gable on the top floor. In the west re-entrant angle between the tower and the main block is a stair tower, corbelled out from the base of the first floor. It has a conical roof with an apex finial, and was also heightened in 1893. Within the turret are two carved stones. The lower with the date 1583 and the motto LAVS.DAO, and the upper with a heraldic panel displaying the coats of arms and initials of John Guthrie and Marion Falconer, husband and wife, who held the estate from 1580 to 1620. The north tower of the earlier block is similar to the south tower, but is round for the full elevation. It is 4-storeys, with windows of varying shapes and sizes to each floor. It was heightened in 1893, and given a corbelled parapet. The southeast facing elevation is mainly made up of a Baronial wing, built in 1893 to replace the earlier wing in its place. At the southwestern side of the elevation is a 3-storey, 3-bay, 3-sided bay, projecting from under a crowstepped gable. The northeastern section of the elevation is 3-storey and with two bays, with crosses between the first and second floor windows. The second floor windows are within dormers that break the wallhead. The exposed southwest facing elevation, where the new wing projects from the old, has a stone inscribed with the date 1893 and the initials of John Peebles Chaplin and Caroline Watson Copley, husband and wife. Above this stone is a triangular re-used dormerhead, probably from the 17th century. To the rear of this wing is a court of offices, also built in 1893, and which are enclosed by a screen wall with arrow slits and crenelated round towers at the northeast corners.
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Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Angus
HER -
NO64NW0004 - COLLISTON CASTLE