Braikie Castle

Braikie Castle stands in Angus, midway between Arbroath and Brechin, east of Friockheim. It is a late 16th-century Scottish tower house built for Thomas Fraser of Kinnell. The castle’s entrance bears a heraldic panel dated 1581, combining the armorial crests of the Frasers of Lovat and the Kinnaird family. Its initials, TF and CK, are also carved into the lintel. The design includes a four-storey and attic L-plan, with a spiral stair in the re-entrant angle and a tall chimney beside it. The castle passed through several families over the centuries, including the Grays and the Ogilvies, before coming into the hands of the Earl of Panmure in 1742. It is recognised as a fine example of a fortified laird’s house from this period. The structure features corbelled bartizans and crow-stepped gables, typical of Scottish architecture. A hidden basement contains a wine cellar, adding to its historical intrigue. Visitors find a roofless ruin, its walls still standing after losing its roof around 1960. The castle appears in MacGibbon and Ross’s 1892 survey of Scottish castles under the name Brackie. Its L-plan layout and defensive features remain clearly visible. The surrounding countryside, between Arbroath and Brechin, adds to the atmosphere of a historic fortified residence.