There as been a castle at Edzell since 1100, the original
structure being some 300m from the present one. The Earls
of Crawford beagn the structure we see today in the 1400's.
In 1553 the simple towerehouse was extended with a west range
which provided living accomodation.
As with a lot of castles in Scotland, Mary Quen of Scots spent
some time here in 1562, as did her son, James VI at a later
date.
The castle has had a fairly peaceful history, by Scottish
standards, that is.
The most famous feature at Edzell is probably its fine walled
garden, with its box edging and highly decorative features.
The garden is only as old as the 1920's however and not totally
true to period.
This castle is now in the care of Historic Scotland.
For many, it is the garden that provides the real draw to
Edzell. This is simply glorious. What is little realised is
that although the hard structures of the garden were placed
here from 1604, the actual planting you see today dates back
only to the 1930s.
The garden is also home to the Summer House. The upper floor
of this is easily missed on your tour of the castle and garden,
but shouldn't be. It contains the best preserved room in the
castle, complete with a stunning oak panel on the wall.
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