Huntingtower Castle

Huntingtower Castle stands near the village of Huntingtower in Perth and Kinross, about five kilometres northwest of Perth. It sits beside the A85 road with the A9 close by, on the main route to Crieff. The site includes two tall towers linked by a later structure, set within a quiet countryside. The castle’s name changed from Ruthven Castle after the Ruthven family’s downfall in 1600. It has long been linked to local ghost stories, especially the tale of Lady Greensleeves. The castle’s history includes visits by Mary, Queen of Scots, and the young King James VI. In 1582, the 4th Lord Ruthven and his family held James VI captive at the castle for ten months in an event known as the Raid of Ruthven. The king later returned in 1587 and again in 1601, when he wrote the name Huntingtower on his letters. The castle passed through different families, including the Murrays of Tullibardine, and was finally abandoned as a residence in the 18th century. Visitors walk between the Eastern and Western Towers, now joined by later masonry. Inside the Eastern Tower, early 16th-century paintings survive on the first floor, including a rare painted ceiling with Renaissance designs and grotesque figures. The space between the towers was enclosed in the late 17th century, creating the castle seen today. The site also holds fragments of wall paintings in the Western Tower and a legend about a daring leap across the gap between the towers.