Clan Rising
Finavon Castle today

Scotland · Partial ruin

Finavon Castle

Finavon Castle is the ruined remains of a stone castle at the given coordinates in the United Kingdom. The site today shows two tall, fragmentary tower walls standing on a wooded slope.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1600

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1600

What Finavon Castle looked like in its prime.

Two tall, close-set rectangular stone tower remnants rise from a wooded, sloping bank; the masonry is grey-brown rubble with narrow vertical window slits and a taller chimney-like projection on one tower. The tops are broken but would once have formed a continuous roofline and connecting curtain wall; one tower face is heavily covered in climbing vegetation today. Trees and undergrowth crowd the base and exposed roots and fallen trunks litter the foreground.

Its story

The story of Finavon Castle.

The Finavon estate was the property of the Lindsay Earls of Crawford from 1375, and they built the original castle on the site. David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford, married Margaret, daughter of Cardinal David Beaton, at Finavon in 1546, and Burke recorded the family's life there as one of "martial exercise, the chase, and the baronial banquet".

Extravagance eventually ruined the Crawford fortunes, and in 1625 the barony of Finavon was disposed of by forced sale to Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Lord Spynie. It later passed through the Carnegie family, the Gordon Earls of Aboyne and the Gardynes.

The tower visible today, dating from about 1600, was an L-plan tower house of five storeys with a garret and courtyard, excavation has shown it was an adjunct built onto the north-east corner of a much older and more extensive medieval structure. Nearby stands Finavon Doocot, Scotland's largest dovecote with 2,400 nesting boxes, believed built for the Earl of Crawford in the 16th century.

Step inside

5 places to explore in 1600.

The record describes 5 distinct spots at Finavon Castle, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach up the wooded bank (exterior)Foot of the southern tower (exterior)Foot of the northern tower (exterior)Between the two towers where the curtain wall links them (exterior)Wooded foreground with exposed roots (exterior)

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Whose castle

Clans who held Finavon Castle.

The families that held Finavon Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Lindsay

    Held by the Lindsay Earls of Crawford from 1375; sold under force in 1625 to Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Lord Spynie.

  • Carnegie

    Finavon later passed through the Carnegie family.

  • Gordon

    Later held by the Gordon Earls of Aboyne.

  • Gardyne

    Later held by the Gardynes.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Finavon Castle.

Tannadice Park, ScotlandStadiumTannadice Park26 km awayBell Rock Lighthouse, ScotlandLighthouseBell Rock Lighthouse40 km away

Questions about Finavon Castle

What is the history of Finavon Castle?

Finavon Castle was built by the Lindsay Earls of Crawford, who held the estate from 1375. David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford, married Margaret, daughter of Cardinal David Beaton, there in 1546. In 1625, financial difficulty led to the forced sale of the barony to Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Lord Spynie; it later passed through the Carnegie family, the Gordon Earls of Aboyne and the Gardynes.

When was Finavon Castle built?

Finavon Castle belongs to the 17th-century period, while the tower visible today dates from about 1600. Archaeological excavations found that this tower was added to the north-east corner of a much older and more extensive medieval structure. The site's first-raised year is not recorded.

Which family or clan held Finavon Castle?

Finavon Castle was held by the Lindsay Earls of Crawford from 1375, then sold under force in 1625 to Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Lord Spynie. It later passed through the Carnegie family, the Gordon Earls of Aboyne and the Gardynes. These families represent successive periods of ownership or possession recorded for the estate.

What did Finavon Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Finavon Castle was an L-plan tower house of five storeys, with a garret and courtyard. The surviving masonry is grey-brown rubble, formed by two close-set rectangular tower remnants with narrow vertical window slits. A taller chimney-like projection rises from one tower, while the broken tops and surviving link indicate a former roofline and curtain wall.

Is Finavon Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Finavon Castle is a partial ruin, with two tall, fragmentary tower walls surviving on a wooded slope. The tower tops are broken, and one face is heavily covered in climbing vegetation. Trees and undergrowth crowd the base, while exposed roots and fallen trunks occupy the foreground.

Where is Finavon Castle?

Finavon Castle is in Angus, near Milton of Finavon and about five miles north-east of Forfar. It lies on the River South Esk, roughly a quarter of a mile south of Milton of Finavon. The surrounding setting is a wooded, sloping bank.

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