Edinample

#136 Edinample Castle
Perthshire, Scotland
1584
This is NOT an official Lego site

Like Barcaldine Castle, this classic Z-plan Scottish tower house was built in 1584 by "Black" Duncan Campbell, on land granted to his father, Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, by Henry, Lord Methuen in 1547. The castle is likely built upon (and may incorporate) parts of an early castle built by the MacGregors before their lands were proscripted. The rectangular central tower is three stories in height, and the round towers at the east and west corners are 4-stories, but the rooms lower ceilings in the corner towers make the height almost identical to the central core. The ground floor is barrel-vaulted. The castle was extensively remodeled about 1790, and around that time a 2-storey porch was added. The castle was derelict by the 1960's, but purchased by Peter Nicholson in the early 1970's. The porch was removed and the castle restored over almost 20 years, overseen by 3 separate groups of architects/engineers. It is still privately owned.

The remainder of the history of Edinample Castle is a direct quote from the 3rd edition of Martin Coventry's wonderful The Castles of Scotland, published in 2001 by Goblinshead Press in Musselburgh, Scotland. I just love it: "St. Blane, a 6th-century saint, reputedly cursed the place: that the owners would neither be rich nor lasting. Another legend is that one of the lairds took tombstones away from a local graveyard to build the castle, and was told by a witch 'You'll put the Estate through your backside with the gill stoup!' - and the laird, of course, drank his way through his money and the estate. The building is said to be haunted. Black Duncan of the Castles ordered that the castle should have a parapet walk around it. The builder forgot to add this feature, but tried to show that is was possible to walk around the roof as it stood. Black Duncan pushed him from the roof, so saving the fee. So - 'tis said - at certain times the ghost of the builder can be seen clambering around the roof."

Photos of the construction in November 2012

The castle is laid out on November 14	At the end of "work" (or play) day 3...	...the Ground and First Storeys are complete!	On November 18 the castle is ready for roofing...	which will be very complex with bartizans, reentrant spiral staircases and towers to cover!

Photos of the Lego Model Built November 14-20, 2012

The castle is done the morning of November 20, there will be no more pix until Aughnanure is gone.	The castle was finally photographed on January 24, 2013, after Chateau de Roquetaillade was torn down & counted. Sorry about the delay...	So here's the view from the south. It appears the MacGregors are paying a visit and are not welcome.	Here's the WSW view featuring bartizan and entrance.


No plan is currently available	Etching from *The Castles of Scotland*	Back of the castle prior to 1970 with the porch, now removed


The northwest tower of the Z-plan castle.	The north side of the castle - facing Loch Earn.	And finally the northeast view with southeast tower.


A closeup of the entrance and the unusual climax to the southeast tower.	And a closeup from the NNE with the pair of projecting stair turrets.


Northwest Elevation	Southwest Elevation