Kinnaird Castle - Welcomes Guests
Would you like to spend a vacation in a magnificent castle nestled between the unspoiled Angus coasts and gently rolling glens? Kinnaird Castle in Brechin has opened its doors to allow guests to stay. The home of the Earl and Countess of Southesk it is the seat of the Carnegie family, Dukes of Fife and Earls of Southesk, and has been with them for over 600 years. The name “Kinnaird” comes from the Gaelic Ceann-airde, meaning "the head of the hill-rise". The castle is just fifty feet above the Vale of the Angus South Esk, but its towers afford a magnificent view of Strathmore and the distant Grampians.
In1405, Duthac Carnegie married Mariota, the owner of Kinnaird and soon acquired the neighboring lands. James V elevated the estate to a barony. In 1616, Sir David Carnegie, was made Lord Carnegie of Kinnaird. In 1633 he became Earl of Southesk
The 9th Earl had the original tower remodeled into a Victorian baronial house. However, seventy years later, in 1921, it was burnt to the ground in a fire that started at the south end and burnt right through the Hall. The rooms lost their original Victorian richness but remarkably, a lot of the contents were saved. The castle was rebuilt and today it resembles a magnificent "chateau" with delightful conical turrets, steep roofs, and armorial decorations.
Kinnaird’s famous collection of paintings includes the Dutch, Flemish and Italian schools, as well as works by Jamesone, Raeburn, Durer, Vandyck and Holbein. The bridal portrait by Jamesone of the young and handsome Marquis of Montrose is one of the castle's great treasures. The painting was a wedding gift for Montrose's bride, Magdalen Carnegie of Kinnaird.
Kinnaird Castle is set in 1300 acres of walled parklands where herds of Highland cattle, wildlife and fallow-deer roam. There are also formal gardens and a lake. There are miles of varied walks through open countryside and woodlands dotted with follies and along the river. Today, most of the second floor of the castle, the original main bedroom floor, has been converted into two luxury apartments, Macduff Tower and Barony that are rented out.
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User Comments & Reviews: 5 Comment(s)
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PJ - 2010-07-29 16:33:32
We stayed in one of the larger suites in 1986 which my daughter and two friends rented while they were stationed at the local USA Navy base. The furnishings were just as overwhelming as the castle and the grounds. We met the then Earl during his morning 'outing.' It was an experience I continue to brag about.
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Rachel Zglobis - 2010-05-07 06:39:29
I live near here and i never know about it ... we stumbled upon it in the car ... WOW .. it was the best discovery ever, the grounds are breath-taking.. it is an amazing castle.
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Lana Owens - 2010-02-19 21:36:46
My great Uncle Andrew Aitkenhead was a butler here for 23 years. I have a picture taken in front of the castle of the horse drawn carriage with the casket of the Earl of Southesk at his funeral in 1942.
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