Claypotts Castle, Scotland

Claypotts Castle was built as a fortified tower between 1569 and 1588, both of those dates appear at the base of the tower’s gables. The castle was built by the Strachan family, who worked the lands of Claypotts, as tenants of Lindores Abbey. The family obtained higher status after the Reformation in 1560, and they decided to build a castle for their family. After John Strachan’s death in 1593, the family moved and the lands were purchased by William Graham, although he never stayed here, his primary residence was at Dudhope Castle.

Claypotts Castle was built to a design, which we see at a number of other Scottish castles from the later 16th Century. It uses projecting towers, at diagonally opposite corners, with a rectangular main block creating a Z shape. This design provided a defensive advantage, making it possible to fire along the face of the main block from flanking towers in order to target attackers and keep them from approaching. At Claypotts the scale of this is more domestic, and probably would have only worked to repel small groups, as it would be insufficient under a full-scale attack. By the second half of the 16th Century, castle design in Scotland was changing; defensive needs were giving way to aesthetics and comfort. This had already happened in England 150 years earlier, which demonstrates that it took a lot longer for the Scots to feel secure.

Claypotts Castle is now isolated from its past, and stands in the middle of a housing estate. It probably once formed part of a larger complex of structures, with a walled courtyard. It may not have been the most defensible of castles, but it certainly is one of the cutest, with its combination of round towers and corbelled turrets. The basement level contains the kitchen and cellars, with the great hall on the first floor, and bedchambers above. There is a spiral stair in each turret, and each level contained three primary rooms.   The castle is owned and maintained by the Historic Environment for Scotland, and while the exterior can be viewed at any time, the interior is open to the public only at limited times.