#117 Elcho Castle
Perth & Kinross, Scotland
1570
This is NOT an official Lego site

The Wemyss family received this pretty property overlooking the River Tay from King James III in 1468. It is quite probable that a structure preceeded the impressive castle, but nothing of it remains, except the story that William Wallace was sheltered there. The current castle is dated by the 1570 bill to John Wemyss for the iron grillework for the lower windows. He died in 1572. While described as a Z-plan castle in several sources, the structure is really more complex with the rectangular central building appendaged by two square and two round towers. While protected by 17 ground level gunports and some battlements, the castle was in fact never attacked, and thus one of its features is its excellent preservation. The castle originally featured a courtyard with ancillary structures on three sides, but little now remains. The Wemyss family were made Lords Elcho as well as Earls of Wemyss in 1633.
Two hundred eighty years of relative quiet ended in 1746 when David, Lord Elcho, fought with the losing Jacobites in the Battle of Culloden. David survived but fled to France, and soon after the Wemyss family moved their main focus to Gosford in East Lothian. While farm workers probably occupied Elcho from about 1780, the castle fell into decay and the roof and upper floors collapsed. In 1830 the eighth Earl of Wemyss reroofed the castle and repaired the first and second floors, but the third floor is missing save a few beams and the castle has never been reoccupied. Elcho, while remaining a Wemyss property, was turned over to the state in 1929 and it is managed by Historic Scotland. Built for comfort as well as protection, Elcho is in a beautiful setting and well worth a visit.
The view from the
NW, somewhat
obsured by trees		 Part of the front
facade		 One of the
battlements		 The largest remnant
of the original wall
around the courtyard		 Elcho's dovecot

 

First Floor Plan Third Floor Plan

 

Photos of the Lego Model
Under construction early August 2007
The front of the castle, more or less
from the south		 The back of the tower

 

Photos of the Lego Model
Built August 2007
The front of the castle, from the
southsoutheast		 The view from the
northeast		 The back of Elcho Castle,
from the northnorthwest
 The westnorthwest view
of the complex "Z"-plan
The southwest view with
battlemented tower
 Detail of the
tower's parapets
 Caphouse Detail

 

Build Your Own
Lego Plan
South Elevation East Elevation North Elevation West Elevation


Other Elcho Castle pages:
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/perth/elchocastle/index.html
http://www.visitdunkeld.com/tour-elcho-castle.htm
http://www.rampantscotland.com/visit/blvisitelcho.htm

Return to the main castle page.

Castles created by Robert Carney
Page created and maintained by Robert Carney