Clan Rising
Kilcoy Castle today

Scotland · Restored

Kilcoy Castle

Kilcoy Castle is a 16th–17th century Z-plan tower house on the Black Isle in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, completed by about 1618 and later restored. It remains a privately owned residence set within mature gardens that are sometimes open to the public.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1618

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1618

What Kilcoy Castle looked like in its prime.

A Z-plan, five-storey tower house of pinkish/grey masonry with two round corner towers and a slated roof punctured by dormer-head windows and crow-stepped gables. The main block rises directly from a gravel forecourt and is pierced by numerous gun-loops and small windows; an added north wing (four storeys) sits at right angles. The castle stands amid dense specimen trees, clipped hedges, terraced lawns and a formal walled garden attached to the main house.

Its story

The story of Kilcoy Castle.

Kilcoy Castle is a Z-plan fortalice on the Black Isle, near Muir of Ord and Tore, begun possibly as early as 1580 by the Stewart family and completed around 1618 by Alexander Mackenzie, third son of Colin Cam Mackenzie of Kintail. The estates then passed down the male line of the Mackenzies of Kilcoy until Sir Evan Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet, died in 1883, when they were inherited by his eldest daughter, who married a Colonel Burton.

Since restored, the castle has come full circle: it is now owned by relations of the original Stewart builders. The Menkings of Kilcoy maintain it as their official residence, though they are rarely in residence, Mark Menking, the current Baron of Kilcoy, is heir to the Lordship of the Garioch in Aberdeenshire.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1618.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Kilcoy 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 drive and parklandGravel forecourt and main entranceNorth wing elevationBase of a round corner towerRoofline with crow-stepped gables and dormersFormal walled gardenTerraced lawn and stone steps

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Recreate Kilcoy Castle with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1618, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Kilcoy Castle.

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

  • Stewart

    Began building the castle as early as 1580; the present Menking owners are relations of the original Stewart builders.

  • Mackenzie

    Completed by Alexander Mackenzie c. 1618; held in the male line of the Mackenzies of Kilcoy until 1883.

From the archive

Kilcoy Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

FIG. 710. — Kilcoy Castle. Enlarged View of Dormer., Kilcoy Castle

FIG. 710. — Kilcoy Castle. Enlarged View of Dormer.

1887 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 2 (1887)

Public domain

Questions about Kilcoy Castle

What is the history of Kilcoy Castle?

Kilcoy Castle was begun in the 16th century and completed in the early 17th century. The Stewart family began building it as early as 1580, and Alexander Mackenzie completed it around 1618. The estates remained with the male line of the Mackenzies of Kilcoy until 1883, after which the castle later fell into ruin and was restored in about 1891.

Who owns Kilcoy Castle now?

Kilcoy Castle is now owned by relations of the original Stewart builders. The Menkings of Kilcoy maintain it as their official residence, and the present owners are described as relations of the Stewart family who began the castle.

Where is Kilcoy Castle?

Kilcoy Castle is near Muir of Ord and Tore on the Black Isle, in the Highland area of Ross and Cromarty. It stands in the Black Isle, a region associated with the northern Highlands of Scotland.

When was Kilcoy Castle built?

Kilcoy Castle was built in stages from the 16th into the 17th century, with completion around 1618. Building may have begun as early as 1580 under the Stewart family, while Alexander Mackenzie completed the castle around 1618.

Who built Kilcoy Castle?

The Stewart family began building Kilcoy Castle, and Alexander Mackenzie completed it around 1618. Mackenzie was the third son of Colin Cam Mackenzie of Kintail and completed the castle after acquiring the lands and barony of Kilcoy.

Which family or clan held Kilcoy Castle?

The Stewart family began building Kilcoy Castle, while the Mackenzies of Kilcoy held it from its completion until 1883. Alexander Mackenzie completed the castle around 1618, and the estates then passed through the male line of his family until the death of Sir Evan Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet.

What did Kilcoy Castle look like in its prime?

Kilcoy Castle is a five-storey Z-plan tower house built of pinkish-grey masonry. It has two round corner towers, numerous gun-loops and small windows, a slated roof with dormer-head windows and crow-stepped gables, and a four-storey north wing at right angles. The castle stands beside a gravel forecourt amid gardens, hedges and terraced lawns.

Is Kilcoy Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Kilcoy Castle is still standing and has been restored. It had fallen into a ruinous state during the late 18th and 19th centuries, before restoration in about 1891 by the Inverness architects Ross and McBeth, who added a four-storey north wing.

Can you visit Kilcoy Castle?

Kilcoy Castle is a private residence whose gardens are periodically open to the public. The Menkings maintain the castle as their official residence, although they are rarely in residence, and the gardens open under Scotland’s Gardens Scheme.

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