Castle Huntly

Castle Huntly today is used as a prison, and although there are occasional Doors Open days, otherwise it is not possible to visit. It may, however, be seen from a number of local roads as it is a prominent landscape feature.

The castle started out life as a substantial L-shaped great tower erected by the first or second Lord Gray in the mid 15th or early 16th century. The castle was accessed at first floor level, but this is partially obscured by later groundworks making the basement below ground level. stairs in the thickness of the wall of the re-entrant angle serve all floors. It had been repeatedly reworked by the 19th century making much of the original layout obscure, but it seems likely the hall was on the level above the entrance, with accommodation above. In the upper layers are numerous mural chambers.

By 1508 the “tower and fortalice” of Huntly was in existence, and the castle is shown as having had five floors by Timothy Pont, along with battlements, but no turrets. After the involvement of his father and grandfather in the convoluted politics of the minority of James VI, the 7th Lord Gray sold the castle to the earl of Kinghorn, Patrick Lyon, who renamed the castle Castle Lyon. In 1776  the castle was sold to George Paterson, who modernised and extended the castle, and renamed it Castle Huntly in honour of his wife, a Gray. In 1946 it was sold to the state for refurbishment as a correctional facility.

HES Canmore database entry