Menstrie Castle

Menstrie Castle is a manor house in the Scottish town of Menstrie in Clackmannanshire unitary authority. In 1960, the building was added to the Scottish lists of monuments in the highest category A.

History

Today Menstrie Castle probably dates back to a predecessor of the clan Campbell in the 14th century. 1526 were the lands over to the house of Alexander. The core of Menstrie Castle was built around 1560 and the building then extended until the beginning of the 17th century. At construction time, it was still out of town. 1567 was later the first Earl of Stirling, William Alexander, was born there. Although the name points to a castle or a palace, it is a moderately armored mansion, which initially had an L-shaped floor plan. During the English Civil War in the mid-17th century, the Earl of Montrose Mentrie Castle attacked in 1645 and let it burn down. In 1649 it came into the possession of James Holborne of Menstrie. The mansion was repaired again and extended after 1750 to outbuildings, so that the resulting U-shaped overall system included a courtyard. 1734 Ralph Abercromby was born in Menstrie Castle. At the beginning of the 20th century was empty Menstrie Castle and his condition deteriorated rapidly Between 1922 and 1969, the outbuildings were demolished and replaced by modern housing. In the 1950s there were plans to tear down the ruinous mansion. Thanks to an initiated by the actor Moultrie Kelsall rescue campaign, the building was finally restored and opened in 1963. Parts of the interior were here converted into apartments, while a museum was set up in the remaining spaces.

Description

Menstrie Castle is located on the Castle Road in the center of Menstrie. The masonry of the three-story building consists of rubble stone. Due to the long west façade of the L- shaped structure introduces a doorway to the patio area. His Segementbogen is decorated with ribbons. In the south, probably the oldest part of Menstrie Castle, take a corner tower and an oriel out on corbels. Along the south side short three windows on each floor are installed. The building closes with gable roofs that are worked with stepped gable.