Angus HER - NO65NW0098 - KINNAIRD CASTLE

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Main Details

Primary ReferenceNO65NW0098
NameKINNAIRD CASTLE
NRHE Card No.NO65NW21
NRHE Numlink 35733
HES SM No. NULL
HES LB No. 11508
Site Form Standing Structure
Site Condition Complete 2
Details Castle, still in use, within policies and a designed landscape (NO65NW0021). A mansion is described as being on the site in the 14th century, and a there is a castle by 1409. This building was destroyed by fire in 1452. The present castle was then rebuilt by 1479. It was more than doubled in size in 1555 by John Hutton and William Welsh, masons, for Sir Robert Carnegie. A further addition in the early 17th century was built for Sir David Carnegie. The lands were forfeited in 1717 due to the fifth Earl joining the Jacobite rebellion. The lands were bought back in 1764 by Sir James Carnegie of Pittarrow. Major remodelling took place in 1788-93 to the designs of James Playfair, architect. It was then recast in a Franco-Baronial style in 1854-60 to designs by David Bryce, architect, at which time the garden walls around the castle were built. It is shown on the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps as an irregular roughly square-plan building with a partially filled internal court. There are walled gardens from the west and south elevations. The west and south ranges were gutted by a fire in 1921, and the exteriors were restored by Kelly and Nicol, architects in circa 1922-6, although Bryce's roofs were not. The south range remained a shell until it was re-fitted by Anta Architecture in 2009. It is a three-storey mansion house, with stables at the rear. The west elevation has a centre turreted tower and square flanking towers, and the north elevation has a columned porte-cochere. The south wing includes the remains of the late-15th century tower house. In the gardens to the west of the castle are two sundials and a life-sized Flora statue. It is a lead statue on a square stone pedestal, and was formally the terminal of the temple (NO65NW0006). It is probably of Italian origin, and dates to around the 17th century. At the western entrance to the gardens are square, V-jointed ashlar gatepiers, supporting decorative cast-iron gates and an arch. There is open balustraded terrace walling to the garden. A watching brief was carried out in 2009 by SUAT ltd prior to the excavation of a water pipe trench in the south wing of the castle. During the watching brief, a thick 19th century foundation deposit was recorded. There was no evidence of the earlier remains in this area, and no other features, deposits or artefacts of archaeological significance were identified. The Masons' Mark Project has recorded 32 marks, of 10 different masons, at the castle.
Last Update13/01/2023
Updated Bycpalmer
CompilerNCA
Date of Compilation07/12/2016

Google Map for NO65NW0098

National Grid Reference: NO 6341 5709



Event Details

Event DateEvent TypeOASIS ID
2009 Watching-Brief

Excavations and Surveys


Artefact and Ecofact

Ecofact

Samples
Palynology
Ecofact Notes

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
MASON-MARKS  R100
CASTLES  A100
TOWERHOUSES  B100
MANSIONSBARONIAL C100
COURTSINTERNAL D100
GARDENSWALLED E100
STABLES  F100
TOWERS TURRETEDG100
TOWERSSQUARE H100
PORT-COCHERES COLUMNEDI100
SUNDIALS  J100
STATUESLEAD K100
PEDESTALSSTONE L100
PEDESTALSSQUARE M100
GATEPIERSASHLAR N100
GATESCAST-IRONDECORATIVEO100
ARCHES  P100
WALLSTERRACEBALUSTRADEDQ100