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Castle, still in use, set within a designed landscape (NO55NE0005). The site of the castle suggests it may have originally been a motte. A castle was certainly there in 1303, when it was captured by Edward I. It was in use again in the 15th century, but is referred to as 'the old castle'. In 1527, James V granted to the lands to Thomas Erskine of Haltoun, who was ordered to add a hall and other extensions, which was completed by 1541. In 1691, repair and remodelling work was completed by James Blaine, contractor and architect, for James, fourth Earl of Panmure. He then had a more extensive reconstruction work carried out in 1696 by Alexander Edward, architect. At this time pavilions were added to flank the forecourt, which have since been removed. Alexander Edward began working on extending the North-West wing. This work was postponed, and began again after 1702. At this time, the North-West wing was further reconstructed, if not re-built, and was completed in 1711, three years after Edward's death. In 1795-7 William Ramsay Maule (later Lord Panmure of Brechin and Navar) had the North wing rebuilt, and some rooms remodelled. This work was carried out by Alexander Laing, architect. Extensive work was carried out between 1853-63 for Fox, second Lord Panmure of Brechin and Navar (and from 1860 eleventh Earl of Dalhousie). The North range was extended, the East rebuilt and the South remodelled. This work was carried out by architect John Henderson until his death in 1862, when it was taken over by architect David Bryce. In 1903-4, Arthur, fourteenth Earl of Dalhousie and Lady Mary Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, husband and wife, created a set of reception rooms on the first floor of the South range. This was the last major work carried out on the castle. The castle was formerly moated to the North and East by a natural ditch. The River Esk formed the Southern defence, and there was also a ditch on the West, although it cannot now be said whether the latter was natural or artificial. It was probably filled in by 1711. The castle itself is quadrangular. The main entrance is in the West elevation, and the South range has been extended and is longer than the North, so that the East range joining the two runs North-East/South-West. There is a forecourt to the West of the castle, flanked with crenellated walls added in the mid-19th century. The West entrance elevation is three storeys with eleven bays, and is constructed from ashlar. The central three bays are projecting and pedimented, with the hood-moulded entrance in the centre bay, surmounted by an armorial stone. It is flanked a rectangular window at each side, with three larger rectangular windows to the first and second floors. The first-floor windows are also hood-moulded in a similar fashion to the entrance. There are band courses running under the windows of the first and second floors, with panels below the windows. Within the tympanum above the windows is a large armorial stone dated 1711. There are two coats of arms shown, to the North the Maules, Earls of Panmure, and to the South the Maules quartered with Hamilton (for Lady Mary Hamilton, wife of James, fourth Earl Of Panmure). Shells and rosettes from the two coats fill the rest of the tympanum. There are urn finials to the ends and apex of the pediment. The rest of the West elevation is plain, with symmetrical rectangular windows. The ground-floor windows are smallest, and the first-floor windows largest. The second-floor windows are smaller than those within the central section, with the tops stopping at the wallhead. All the windows have chamfered surrounds. At either end of the West elevation are three-storey, circular, conical roofed towers with dragon weathervanes at the apex. The South range is mostly three-storey, and has a plain Western end. Mid-way along the elevation is a projecting three bays with a crow-stepped gable. In the angle at the West is a large square tower, with a corbelled crenellated wallhead. To the East of this, the elevation continues at a slight angle and in a somewhat irregular style, with one two-bay section and another, slightly higher, three-bay section. On the Eastern end of this is a single-storey T-plan extension. Within this irregular section is the kitchen block, which has a lintel dated 1703. The East and North ranges are plain in style. The North range was raised to three storeys in the 1854-63 alterations, and has a piended roof where the others are gabled.
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Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Angus
HER -
NO55NE0040 - BRECHIN CASTLE