>Meanoldbadger at 18:00, 2 May 2021

2021-05-02T18:00:55Z

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[[File:Castle Menzies.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|Castle Menzies]]
[[File:Marriage stone of James Menzies and Barbara Stewart.jpg|thumb|Marriage stone of James Menzies and Barbara Stewart inserted in 1571]]
[[File:Castle Menzies, Red and White Book of Menzies, 1908.jpg|thumb|Ancient Portion of Castle Menzies]]
[[File:Castle Menzies (detail) - geograph.org.uk - 968718.jpg|thumb|right|Castle detail]]

'''Castle Menzies''' in [[Scotland]] is the ancestral seat of the [[Clan Menzies]] and the [[Menzies Baronets]]. It is located a little to the west of the small village of [[Weem]], near [[Aberfeldy, Scotland|Aberfeldy]] in the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]] of [[Perthshire]], close to the former site of [[Weem Castle]], destroyed c. 1502.<ref>[http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/25671/details/weem+castle/ File.] Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 7 December 2014.</ref><ref>[[James Logan (writer)|Logan, James]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=th9DAAAAcAAJ&pg=PT27&dq=Weem+Castle&hl=en&sa=X&ei=MmeEVP2dHYT0UMXKgvAP&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Weem&f=false ''The Clans of the Scottish Highlands: Illustrated by Appropriate Figures, Displaying Their Dress, Tartans, Arms, Amorial Insignia and Social Occupations'', p. 3. Ackerman.] At Google Books. Retrieved 7 December 2014.</ref>

==History==
The sixteenth-century castle, built as a [[Z-plan castle]],<ref>[http://www.castlemenzies.org/saving-and-restoring-castle-menzies/ «Saving and restoring Castle Menzies.»] Official website. Retrieved 7 December 2014.</ref> was the seat of the chiefs of clan Menzies [https://www.castlemenzies.org/ for over 500 years]. Strategically situated, it was involved in the turbulent history of the highlands.

A [[marriage stone]] above the original entrance was installed by James Menzies in 1571, to record his marriage to Barbara Stewart, daughter of the [[John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Atholl]] and [[Elizabeth Berlay]].<ref>McKean (2001) p. 12</ref>

In 1598 John Dow MacWilliam ''alias'' MacGregor broke into the castle to rescue a thief Donald Menzies from the dungeons. The owner, Alexander Menzies of Weem complained that [[John Murray, 1st Earl of Tullibardine|John Murray of Tullibardine]] had then welcomed Donald Menzies and MacGregor as his household men and servants.<ref>David Masson, ''Register of the Privy Council of Scotland'', vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1882), p. 513.</ref>

[[Bonnie Prince Charlie]], the [[House of Stuart|Stuart]] pretender to the throne, rested for two nights in the castle on his way to the battle of [[Culloden, Highland|Culloden]] in 1746.

In 1840 an entirely new wing was added, designed by [[William Burn]] using stone from the same quarry on south side of Loch Tay.

[[Duleep Singh]], last maharajah of the [[Sikh Empire]], lived at Castle Menzies between 1855<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Scotland |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002115/18550428/022/0006 |newspaper=The Atlas |location=England |date=28 April 1855 |access-date=19 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref> and 1858,<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Local Intelligence |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000160/18580120/012/0002 |newspaper=Dundee Courier |location=Scotland |date=20 January 1858 |access-date=19 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref> following his exile from the Punjab in 1854. He was officially the [[Ward (law)|ward]] of [[Sir John Spencer Login]] and Lady Login, who leased the castle for him.

Sir Robert Menzies, 7th Baronet inherited the estate in 1844. On Sunday 21 April 1878 around 7pm a fire broke out in the roof of the castle.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Destructive Fire at Castle Menzies, Perthshire |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000453/18780423/068/0004 |newspaper=Dundee Evening Telegraph |location=Scotland |date=23 April 1878 |access-date=19 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> It was spotted by a man passing along the road who raised the alarm. Sir Robert and Lady Menzies were away at Farleyer, but word was sent and they returned immediately. Local efforts managed to keep the fire under control, and by 10pm when the fire engine from [[Taymouth Castle]] arrived, the fire was nearly extinguished. The excitement was thought to have affected the health of Lady Menzies, and she died the following month.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Funeral of Lady Menzies |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000453/18780506/073/0004 |newspaper=Dundee Evening Telegraph |location=Scotland |date=6 May 1878 |access-date=19 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Sir Neil Menzies, 8th Baronet, inherited the estate in 1903 but died without heirs in 1910. In 1913<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Castle Menzies is Dismantled |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000164/19131024/104/0006 |newspaper=Dundee Courier |location=Scotland |date=24 October 1913 |access-date=14 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> the house contents were auctioned and in 1914<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Castle Menzies Papers Sold |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002280/19181228/067/0003 |newspaper=Dundee Courier |location=England |date=12 February 1914 |access-date=14 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> the papers were sold at Sotheby's for £1,160. £300 was paid for a letter of Mary Queen of Scots to the Laird of Weym dated Drymmen, in Menteith, 31 August 1566 and relating to the Macgregors of Rannoch. The "Proposals" signed by Charles I at Holmby, 12 May 1647, for resigning the command of the Militia for ten years, and agreeing to the Establishment of Presbyterianism for three years, fetched £56.

The castle and 11,600 acres of estate land finally sold in 1918<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Castle Menzies Estate Sold |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002280/19181228/067/0003 |newspaper=Wigton Advertiser |location=England |date=28 December 1918 |access-date=14 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> for £69,000 ({{Inflation|UK|69000|1918|r=-2|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} to [[Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby|Francis Willey]], later [[Baron Barnby]]. On his death, his widow put the estate up for sale in April 1930.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Historic Castle Menzies |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000458/19300416/123/0012 |newspaper=Perthshire Advertiser |location=Scotland |date=16 April 1930 |access-date=19 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Menzies Clan Society==

The restoration of the ancient part of the castle involved the demolition of a greatly decayed 18th century wing. A large Victorian ballroom (not visible in the adjacent photograph) was, however, retained.

The castle, restored by the Menzies Clan Society [https://www.castlemenzies.org/ after 1957], is an example of architectural transition between an earlier tradition of rugged fortresses and a later one of lightly defensible 'châteaux'. The walls are of random rubble, originally harled (roughcast), but the quoins, turrets and door and window surrounds are of finely carved blue freestone. This attractive and extremely hard-weathering stone was also used for the architectural details and monuments at the nearby Old Kirk of Weem, which was built by the Menzies family and contains their monuments and funeral hatchments.

The castle was designated as a Category A [[listed building]] in 1971<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB43568|desc=CASTLE MENZIES |access-date=7 July 2020}}</ref> and the grounds were added to the [[Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland]] in 1987.<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=GDL00095 |desc= CASTLE MENZIES |access-date=7 July 2020|fewer-links=yes}}</ref>

Restoration work started in earnest in 1972 with a £40,000 project partly funded by at £10,000 grant from the Historical Buildings Council.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Good News |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002713/19720819/049/0006 |newspaper=Strathern Herald |location=Scotland |date=19 August 1972 |access-date=19 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> This work took nearly 10 years under the leadership of [https://www.castlemenzies.org/saving-and-restoring-castle-menzies/ Dr Bill Dewar MBE] and allowed the building to open to the public.

A further grant of £135,900 was awarded in 1991 to help with the £230,000 final phase of restoration<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Castle Menzies gets repair grant |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/19910611/629/0036 |newspaper=Aberdeen Press and Journal |location=Scotland |date=11 June 1991 |access-date=19 August 2020 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> of the Victorian west wing and the creation of the ballroom "The Dewar Room".

The Menzies Charitable Trust was established in 1994 to look after the castle, the walled garden and St Cuthbert’s Old Kirk of Weem.

== References ==
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==Bibliography==
*McKean, Charles (2001) ''The Scottish Chateau: the country house of Renaissance Scotland''. Stroud: Sutton Publishing {{ISBN|0-7509-2323-7}}; p12

==External links==
*http://www.castlemenzies.org The Official Castle Menzies Website
*{{oscoor gbx|NN832495}}

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[[Category:Castles in Perth and Kinross|Menzies]]
[[Category:Category A listed buildings in Perth and Kinross]]

[[Category:Listed castles in Scotland]]
[[Category:Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes]]
[[Category:Historic house museums in Perth and Kinross]]
[[Category:Tower houses in Scotland]]

Castle Menzies - Revision history

>Meanoldbadger at 18:00, 2 May 2021