Perth Castle

Perth Castle is believed to have been a timber castle on an earth mound to the north of the later town defences, although the exact site is unknown. It existed in the 1160s, when King Malcolm IV conferred the chapel of the castle upon Dunfermline Abbey, and was mentioned in charters a few years later. However it is probable that the castle was destroyed in a disastrous flood of the Tay in 1209, and it was never rebuilt.

Instead the town of Perth as a whole was defended, with a ditch and bank, and Edward I provided it with a wall, but there was never a new castle built. When in Perth for parliaments and coronations, the Kings of Scots used church property to stay in. Archaeology done in Perth has identified ditches and ramparts, but the location of the castle has still not been confirmed. The site is believed to have been in the vicinity of the Perth Museum, and is largely accessible to teh public.

HES Canmore database entry

TAFAC article “Archaeology & Development of Perth” with detailed contour maps and flood reconstructions