Methven Castle

Methven Castle stands east of Methven in Perth and Kinross as a privately owned house built in the 17th century. It occupies land that once belonged to the Mowbray family from the 12th century, passing through royal hands after Robert the Bruce’s victory. The castle was visited by kings including James II in 1450 and James IV in the 1490s. Margaret Tudor, queen of James IV, lived here after her third marriage and died at the castle in 1541. The present building dates to 1664 and was designed by mason-architect John Mylne, possibly incorporating older work. The castle is a square four-storey block with circular corner towers capped by ogee-shaped roofs and harled walls. Its north front features crow-stepped gables linked by a balustrade, while an 1815 western extension added a bay window. Inside, only a stair survives from the original interiors after remodelling in 1800. The building was restored in the 1980s under Kenneth Murdoch, who removed later wings to preserve the 17th-century core. It remains a category A listed building and is currently owned by David Murdoch. The grounds include parkland laid out from the late 18th century, with woodlands planted by David Smythe, Lord Methven. A walled garden was built in 1796 and a pinetum established in 1830, recognised as Scotland’s first arboretum of conifers. The Pepperwell Oak, measured in 1985 with a girth of nearly seven metres, was thought to be 400 years old in 1883. The parks and gardens are included in Scotland’s Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes.