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Summary

Description

Dated 1569-1588. 3-storey and garret, Z-plan castle consisting of rectangular central block with round towers at NE and SW angles and stair turrets in their respective re-entrants. Rubble construction, rough-hewn dressings, stone slate roof. Externally splayed gunports at ground floor, various small windows, larger windows with 12-pane sash and case frames at principal rooms; round towers corbelled to square at garret level; sections of corbelled parapet walk with water spouts at rectangular block, doors to garret; wallhead and gablehead corniced stacks; crowstepped gables and skewputts.

W ELEVATION: irregular segmental-arched doorway at central block with roll moulding and massive dressings, blank heraldic panel above; gunport at left, large window at 1st and 2nd floor, massive wallhead stack; gunport at left return elevation, parapet walk with door and gable stack; NE tower recessed at left with gunport, large window at 1st floor with small window above, window at 2nd and garret floor, skewputt inscribed 'JS' with armorial, gunport at N elevation; stair turret at right of door with gunport and 5 windows; SW tower advanced at right with gunport, large window at ground, 1st and 2nd floor, small window at garret and gable.

S ELEVATION: SW tower advanced at left with gunport, small window at 1st and 2nd floor, large window at garret, dormerhead with banded and moulded architraves, fan pattern segmental pediment with angle finials (top finial truncated), left skewputt dated 1569; gable of central block recessed at centre with gunport, large window at 1st and second floor, parapet walk with door and gable stack.

E ELEVATION: central block with chute and 2 gunports, small window at 1st floor, large and small window at 2nd; stair turret at right with groove to gunpoort in projecting NW tower, various windows above; advanced NW tower at right with window at 1st, 2nd and ground floor, right skewputt dated 1588.

INTERIOR: barrel-vaulted ground floor rooms, fireplaces in kitchen and 1st floor hall; wall plasterwork removed; original roof with collars and some modern reinforcing timbers.

Statement of Special Interest

Claypotts castle was built for John Strachan whose initials appear on the skewputt of the NW tower. The castle is one of the most complete examples of the 16th century Z-plan type, although all trace of its ancillary buildings has been lost. Claypotts castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and in care.

References

Bibliography

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