Inverquharity Castle – Unfortunate Beginning
Inverquharity Castle in Scotland takes its name from the adjacent Quharity Burn. It stands near the confluence of Quharity Burn and the South Esk River, 3 miles northeast of Kirriemuir. Inverquharity Castle is located in the lower section of Kirriemuir parish, and is one of the finest and most entire baronial buildings in Forfarshire. The original rectangular tower was built in the early 1440s by the Ogilvie family who owned the property from1420 till the late 18th Century. In 1444 King James II granted to Alexander Ogilvie, the 2nd Lord Inverquharity the license to build an iron yett, an honor bestowed on only the most trusted.
Alexander got into a dispute with the Earl of Crawford, of Finavon Castle in 1445, which culminated in the “Battle of Arbroath”, lasting two days. Both of them were killed in it and Inverquharity’s east wing was destroyed in retaliation for the Earl’s death. The outline of a serving hatch, which used to open into the kitchen in the east wing, can still be seen low down on the east wall.
Inverquharity Castle was extended in the 16th century into a four storied L-plan structure with a garret and a corbelled-out parapet over the entrance to the castle. It is a structure of strong ashlar work, in pointed architecture, with nine feet thick walls that project near the top, and terminate in a parapet. If you look up from the main door, you can see the machicolations over the gateway from which stones or boiling oil could be poured down on the enemy.
Fourteen generations of Ogilvies have lived here from 1420. In 1626 they received a baronetcy and that particular branch of the family is still designated of Inverquharity or Baldovan. Inverquharity Castle was sold by the Ogilvies in the late 18th Century .This was around the same time that the 16th century wing was demolished and the castle fell into disrepair.
The castle is in the possession of the Grant family who restored it in the 1960s. They rebuilt the 16th century wing and the castle remains their family home today. The castle is not open to the public and is in a state of good preservation.
