Claypotts Castle

Claypotts Castle Details

Claypotts Castle, a complete unoccupied C16 tower house of the Strachans. Open to the public occasionally.

  • Closest To: Dundee, Broughty Ferry
  • Access: Chargeable Public Access
  • Grid Reference: NO453320

Claypotts Castle is a roofed tower house of unusual design on the outskirts of Dundee. It is maintained by Historic Environment Scotland but not open regularly. Consisting of a Z-plan tower with round towers at diagonally opposed corners, both towers have square upper floors on corbels, and are served with full height round stair turrets. Even when closed it is clearly visible from the surrounding grounds.

The lands of Claypotts wereleased from Lindores Abbey by a family of Strachans from 1511, and acquired by them at the Reformation, after which the castle was founded. It was probably of more than one build phase in teh 1560s and 1580s, and when the abbey lost its superiority over the property, the Strachans sold it to the Graham family. Claypotts was forfeited in 1689 and although the castle remained in good repair it was not occupied by the Douglas family who purchased it. It was given over to the state in 1926.

Official Historic Scotland page

HES Canmore database entry

 

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