Gardyne Castle

Gardyne Castle stands in Angus, twelve hundred metres south-west of Friockheim. This 16th-century tower house was built by the Gardyne family and still serves as a private home. It is protected as a Category A listed building, recognising its historic importance. An inscribed stone on the castle records the year 1568. Another stone, moved from the nearby home farm, displays the arms of King James VI and the motto ‘God save the King’. The castle’s conical-roofed bartizans echo Royal Stewart architecture, linking it to the new king rather than his deposed predecessor. The Gardyne family first acquired the lands of Garden before 1357, when John Garden received a charter from the Earl of Ross. A violent feud with the Guthries began in 1558 and lasted decades. In 1578 Patrick Gardyne was murdered by William Guthrie, followed by the killing of Alexander Guthrie. Financial strain from the feud forced the family to sell the barony to Sir Walter Rollo in 1597. James Lyell bought the castle in 1682, and his descendants lived there until 1963. The building has been remodelled several times, most notably in 1910 by architect Harold Tarbolton, who added electricity. Visitors approach the castle along a quiet country road. The tower house presents a mix of original 16th-century features and later modernisations. Inside, the rooms reflect its long occupation by successive families. The exterior shows the distinctive conical-roofed bartizans and carved stones that mark its royal connections. The surrounding landscape is peaceful farmland, offering views of the wider Angus countryside. The castle remains a lived-in home, so access is limited to the exterior and grounds. Its preserved state and private status give it a quiet dignity among Scotland’s historic houses.