Edzell Castle and Garden

Edzell Castle belonged to a family known as the ‘lichtsome’ (carefree) Lindsays. The head of the family became Earl of Crawford, one of the most powerful men in the realm.

In the mid-1400s, David, the 3rd Earl, made Edzell a separate inheritance for his younger son, Walter. The castle remained with this junior branch of the family for the rest of its days as a Lindsay residence.

For a time in the 1500s, this junior branch also held the earldom of Crawford through David, the 9th Earl. It was David who began building the grand new residence we see today.

David's grand designs centred on an impressive tower house which housed state apartments in its gatehouse range, along with further family rooms along the courtyard’s north side. The most famous guests were Mary, Queen of Scots, who visited in 1562 and her son, James VI, who stayed in 1580 and 1589.

The family fell on hard times and their mounting debts forced them to sell Edzell in 1715. The new owner, the Earl of Panmure, lost his lands that very same year, as a result of his part in the Jacobite Rising. Edzell’s days as a noble residence were over.

The Lindsays’ greatest building achievement at Edzell was the wonderful walled garden. The 9th Earl’s son, also called David, added it in 1604.

The present garden layout was recreated in the 1930s. The most striking and unusual features are its four original enclosing walls, which display a series of unique carved panels.

The panels portray the Seven Cardinal Virtues, the Seven Liberal Arts and the Seven Planetary Deities.

Sir David clearly intended to stimulate both mind and senses. His garden is unique in Scotland and gives Edzell a distinctive place in the art history of the European Renaissance.

Though no longer inhabited by humans, the castle is home to many animals including bats, barn owls, brown hares and red squirrels.