Birkhill House

Birkhill House, also known as Birkhill Castle, is a large country house dating mainly to the 18th and 19th century situated at the top of steep slopes which drop down into the Firth of Tay halfway between Newburgh and Newport-on-Tay. It is a private home today, but available for use as an exclusive use venue.

Birkhill was originally called Corbie, and was a property which was held by Balmerino Abbey, the ruins of which are about two miles to the east. The forester of the abbey is said to have lived near the site of Birkhill House. In about 1540, the Abbot and Convent granted a charter to Andrew Leslie of Kilmany, who was to become the fourth Earl of Rothes. By the mid 17th century, the property was known as Birkhill, and was granted by Sir John Leslie of Newton, fourth son of the fifth earl of Rothes, to his son. John Leslie of Birkhill was knighted in 1641, and was killed with his son at Dundee fighting for the King. In 1744, the estate was purchased by David Scrimgeour, whose descendants still own it.

In 1780, the Scrimgeour family carried out a substantial remodelling and rebuilding of the old house, and a second remodelling took place under the supervision of the architect David Bryce, completed in 1859. In this latter remodelling, the last remnant of the old house – recognisable from its thick walls – was removed, and there is supposedly no evidence of it today. Having said that, there is a curious and impressive chimney at the east end of the shore-facing half of the main building.

HES Canmore database entry

Birkhill Castle official website