Guthrie Castle

Guthrie Castle is a multi-phase mansion house that remains occupied to this day, and has a 15th century tower house at its core. It occupies a location on the north bank of the Lunan Water that is secluded but not particularly defensive, and is not visible from the public roads. It is now a private home and no longer open to the public.

The lands of Guthrie were held by the de la Carneille family in the 13th century, and at some point afterwards adopted the name Guthrie as their own. In 1468 Sir David Guthrie, armour bearer to King James III was given permission to build a tower at Guthrie. By the late 16th century this had developed into a tower house with a walled courtyard – neither the courtyard or the wall remains at all to see today. The family supported the overthrow of Queen Mary and were forfeited briefly for feuding with their neighbours the Gardynes. However after this the castle had a fairly uneventful history and was abandoned after the Jacobite period. In the 19th century the house was remodelled and a baronial style mansion added. The Guthrie family sold the castle in 1984.

The house was available for hire as a venue for a while, and it was during this period that I was supplied with my photograph. This is no longer the case.

Official Guthrie Castle website

HES Canmore database entry