Guthrie Castle

Guthrie Castle stands in the quiet village of Guthrie, twelve miles east of Forfar in Angus. The first stone tower was raised in the late 15th century by Sir David Guthrie, who served as Scotland’s Treasurer and Lord Justice-General. A smaller house was added beside the tower, and in 1848 the two were joined by a grand baronial wing designed by the architect David Bryce. For nearly four centuries the keep remained in the Guthrie family until Colonel Ivan Guthrie’s death in 1983. The estate then passed to an American owner who restored the castle to its 19th-century appearance. The castle’s grounds now include a 1990s golf course laid out by the new proprietor. Between 2003 and 2017 the castle welcomed wedding parties, corporate events and private groups. After a legal investigation the owners decided to close the estate to the public and return it to private use. The historic keep and its later additions survive as one of the few baronial houses in Angus still held by the same family line for so long. Visitors who once came to the castle found the 15th-century tower at its heart, with Bryce’s baronial wing wrapping around it. The interiors reflect the 19th-century restoration, while the surrounding parkland offers views across the gentle countryside of eastern Scotland. The golf course lies within the estate walls, its fairways framed by mature trees planted during the same period as the main house.