Castle Menzies

About this place

Castle Menzies stands just west of Weem, near Aberfeldy in Perthshire, and has served as the ancestral seat of Clan Menzies for centuries.

The castle sits close to the site of the earlier Weem Castle, destroyed around 1502.

Many of its rooms are left unfurnished, letting visitors see the building's structure and stonework directly, and you can wander through most of the castle without a guide.

It is covered by Historic Houses membership, and the grounds include a walled garden and a small medieval kirk holding the Menzies family mausoleum.

History

The castle replaced the earlier Weem Castle, destroyed around 1502, and has remained linked to the Menzies Baronets and the chiefs of Clan Menzies ever since. The walled garden here once had a national reputation and is tied to the family's most celebrated member, the botanist Archibald Menzies, whose story features in the castle's exhibitions.

Architecture

Castle Menzies is a Z-plan tower house dating from the 16th century, with upper floors reached by a spiral staircase, a common feature of Scottish castles of this type.

Worth knowing

Prince Duleep Singh, the last Maharajah of the Sikh Empire, stayed at the castle in the 1850s, and a display on his visit is being developed further. The castle also houses an exhibition on Clan Gregor alongside its own Clan Menzies displays.

Gardens & grounds

The walled garden, still under restoration, was once renowned across Scotland and produced the botanist Archibald Menzies.

Facilities