Claypotts Castle – Dundee

In the West Ferry area of Dundee, you’ll find the fairy-tale-like Claypotts castle. This curious and striking castle comprises a Z-plan Tower House, built as a family home by John Strachan and his son over two decades in the 1500’s and was, at that time, surrounded by several outbuildings and farm land. It consists of a rectangular main block, two large round towers and crowned with square gabled chambers at opposite corners. The round towers and diagonal corners meant that any attackers could easily be spotted.

The lands at Claypotts had originally been owned by Lindores Abbey and as the name ‘Claypotts’ suggests it was used by the Abbey as the location for their pottery production around 1247. By the early 1500’s the land had passed to John Strachan when he married Eufame Durham. Their servants included Jonet Wilkie, who worked for them here for over 14 years, Margaret Swynton who was house keeper and responsible for supervising the other servants and it’s known she earned a salary of six pounds a year. A male servant, George Tailyour was the family porter who answered the door and took care of all the candles and lighting. Eufame lived here all of her married life until her death in 1580. Her will still exists and lists property including her brown riding horse and 15 oxen for ploughing.

The Castle was sold to the Grahams in 1620. John Graham, 7th Laird of Claverhouse & 1st Viscount of Dundee, inherited Claypotts in 1653 when he was only 4 years old. Claverhouse was a professional soldier and gained a reputation as ‘Bluidy Clavers’ because of his enthusiastic persecution of Covenanters in Galloway. He became a prominent character during the Jacobite rebellion, earning himself the nickname ‘Bonnie Dundee’ (and by all accounts he was a very handsome fellow – see image below) by his supporters after he was shot and fell from his horse, mortally wounded, leading the Jacobites to victory over the forces of King William III & Queen Mary II at the battle of Killiecrankie in 1689. He was buried 3 days later in the mausoleum at St Brides Kirk, Old Blair. His lands were forfeited in 1694 and passed to Douglas, Earl of Angus, when the Jacobean cause was lost, then latterly passing to the Horne family. Thereafter the castle fell into a dilapidated condition but continued to be lived in by farm labourers until the late 19th century.

Claypotts finally fell into State care in 1926 when the surrounding buildings were demolishing and eventually replaced by incongruous modern housing. I felt sad to find this lovely, quirky castle sitting cheek by jowl with such dreary buildings.

It’s said that Claypotts is haunted by the spirit of a ‘White Lady’. This ghostly apparition is thought to be Marion Ogilvie, long-term mistress of Cardinal David Beaton and there is also an eerie legend that John Graham of Claverhouse still haunts the rooms of the castle.

The Castle Grounds are open all year however access to the Claypotts Castle itself needs to be arranged via Historic Scotland – 0121 878 756