Ethie Castle – An Awesome Sight

Fans of Sir Walter Scott will recognize Ethie Castle as the inspiration for 'Knockwinnoch' in the novel 'The Antiquary'. Located north of Dundee, Carnoustie, and Arbroath on the east coast of Scotland, Ethie Castle is a short distance from the beautiful Angus Glens, home to eagles, buzzards, deer and some of the most breathtaking surroundings in Scotland. Ethie Castle is an ancient sandstone fortress of 14th Century and believed to be the second oldest permanently inhabited castle in Scotland. The original structure was a sandstone keep built by the Abbot and Monks of Arbroath Abbey in 1300. It was with the de Maxwell family for a while but reverted to the Abbot of Arbroath. It was rebuilt around a courtyard around 1530 in honor of King James V’s visit.

Ethie castle was bought in 1665 by the Carnegie family and remained with them until 1928. The Carnegies later became the Earls of Northesk and the Seventh Earl was Vice Admiral during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He was entitled to incorporate Trafalgar in his arms as can still be seen in a dormer at Ethie. He transformed the castle into a beautiful country residence as is seen today. Ethie Castle is now the de Morgan family home and they let out rooms to visitors.

Guests can occupy bedrooms with original decor and also use various rooms that are steeped in history. One of the sitting rooms was originally the barrel vaulted Cardinal’s Room and has a secret stairwell and wood paneling with a tiny door to Cardinal Beaton’s ancient chapel. It is believed that after Cardinal Beaton’s murder, the monks of Arbroath concealed their treasures of the church in the walls of Ethie for safekeeping.

The Georgian Drawing Room is elegantly furnished and displays fine art. The tapestry Room at the top of the Castle is reached by three of the five stone turnpikes and boasts of glorious views over the surrounding countryside farmland – truly inspiring for any seamstress! Guests are served breakfast and dinner in the Tudor Kitchen, where a crackling fire of half tree trunks burns in a massive inglenook fireplace. Larger parties dine at the Great Table beneath the ornate plasterwork ceiling in the Ethie Castle Dining Room.

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