Kilcoy Castle
Kilcoy Castle is a 17th-century castle near Muir of Ord and Tore on the Black Isle, in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. Kilcoy Castle is a ‘Z’ plan fortalice dating from no later than 1618 and possibly founded as early as 1580 (contemporary with Dalcross Castle QV).
History
The castle was built beginning as early as 1580 by the Stewart family, and completed by Alexander Mackenzie, third son of Colin Cam Mackenzie of Kintailaround 1618. As a result of his marriage (contract 15 August 1611) to the widow of Sir James Stewart of Kilcoy, he had a charter of the lands of Kilcoy dated 18 July 1616 and a further charter of the Barony of Kilcoy dated 29 January 1618. The estates passed through the male line of the Mackenzies of Kilcoy until the death in 1883 of Sir Evan Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet,[1] when they were inherited by his eldest daughter, who married a Colonel Burton.[2]
It fell into a ruinous state during the late 18th and 19th Centuries and was restored in 1891 by the Inverness Architects Ross and McBeth, who added a four-storey wing to the north.
The castle was restored from a ruinous condition in about 1891.[3]
Construction
The castle is a Z-plan tower house. It has four storeys with two round corner towers. The slated roof has crow-stepped gables and (probably late 17th century) dormer-head windows. There are many gun loops.[3]
Present day
The castle has been recently sold. Its gardens are periodically open to the public under Scotland’s Gardens Scheme.[3]
References
- ↑ Gibbney, H. J. (1974). "Mackenzie, Sir Evan (1816–1883)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. 5. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ↑ Alexander Mackenzie, History of the clan Mackenzie (A & W Mackenzie, 1879), at page 433
- 1 2 3 The Gazetteer for Scotland (accessed on 15 April 2010)
Coordinates: 57°31′44″N 4°22′44″W / 57.52889°N 4.37889°W