The original designed landscape was laid out c.1730-50 with a series of radiating avenues. Little has been overlaid on this and the present structure is similar to the original design, although embellishments where made c.1830 and c.1900.
The name of the family and lands was known, prior to the 16th century, as 'Brothie', which means mire or ditch, and in Saxon, dyke. The latter, which runs to the village of Dyke 0.75 miles to the north-east, may have been the origin of the name of Brodie which was first used by the 10th Laird, Alexander. It is thought that his predecessors were granted the lands of Brodie in return for their loyalty to Malcolm IV c.1160. Alexander built the core of the present house c.1566 after the lands were returned to him, having been confiscated as punishment for his opposition to Mary, Queen of Scots. He commissioned the fine plaster ceilings in the building, which survived the sacking of the house in 1645 by Lord Lewis Gordon. The family sided with the Government during the 1715 rebellion.
Alexander, the 19th Laird was appointed Lord Lyon in 1727. His wife, Mary Sleigh, was responsible for the formal landscape which was laid out between 1730-50. It included a Baroque Garden which has now gone. Alexander died in 1754 leaving substantial debts. His son died 5 years later, at the age of 18, and the estate passed to a cousin, James Brodie of Spynie, the 21st Laird. At that time, there were still considerable debts and the estate was sold to the Earl of Fife, James' brother-in-law. He returned the policies to the family, retaining the bulk of the lands for himself. The heir, James, went to India and amassed a fortune which was partly used to build a Brodie House in Madras. He died prematurely in 1802 and his son, William, succeeded as 22nd Laird in 1824 by which time, much of the detail of the formal scheme had probably been lost. He commissioned William Burn to design substantial alterations to the House but again, the improvements resulted in debts, the work was never completed, and some of the house contents had to be sold.
The family fortunes improved in 1837 when William married Miss Elizabeth Bailley of Redcastle. The Burn additions were remodelled by James Wylson in c.1840. Their grandson Ian Ashley, the 24th Laird, was born in 1868 and succeeded in 1889. He was a keen gardener and established a notable collection of daffodils within the policies. His son, Ninian, the present and 25th Laird of Brodie entered into an agreement with the National Trust for Scotland in 1978 and has retained part of the Castle for his own use.