Edzell Castle

A walled garden built in the early 17th century can be found at Edzell Castle, a 16th-century ruin. It is situated in Angus, Scotland, adjacent to Edzell and about 8 kilometers north of Brechin. David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford, who started construction on Edzell Castle around 1520, enlarged it under the direction of his son Sir David Lindsay, Lord Edzell, who also designed the garden in 1604. The castle was designed, built, and used more like a country residence than a defensive fortress, and it saw little military combat.

English troops briefly seized it in 1651 when Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland. It was sold by the Lindsay family in 1715, and the Earl of Dalhousie eventually acquired it. It was turned over to the government in the 1930s, and today Historic Environment Scotland operates it as a tourist destination. The original tower house and a series of buildings arranged around a courtyard make up the castle. The nearby Renaissance walled garden features elaborate relief carvings and is the only one of its kind in Scotland. It was replanted in the 1930s and is thought to have ties to esoteric religions like Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism.

Location: Near Edzell, Angus, Scotland