Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Broughty Castle

Broughty Castle

Scotland
HES SM90043
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Broughty Castle is a 15th-century artillery fortress located at Broughty Ferry on the Firth of Tay in Angus, Scotland. Built in 1454 by the Earl of Angus, the castle represents an important early example of Scottish military architecture adapted for cannon defence, with its distinctive pentagonal plan and low, thick walls designed to withstand artillery bombardment. The fortress was garrisoned by English forces during the 16th century and subsequently served as a strategic stronghold controlling access to the Firth of Tay. Today the castle survives as a substantial stone structure housing a museum, preserving evidence of its role as both a defensive installation and a seat of local power across five centuries of Scottish history.

Broughty Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90043. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Broughty Castle?

Broughty Castle is a 15th-century artillery fortress located at Broughty Ferry on the Firth of Tay in Angus, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90043.

Who is responsible for protecting Broughty Castle?

Broughty Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM90043.

What other scheduled monuments are near Broughty Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Leuchars Castle, enclosures 700m N of (7.6 km), Leuchars Castle, unenclosed settlement 320m NNE of (8 km), North Straiton, unenclosed settlement 140m N of (8.2 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Broughty Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Broughty Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Leuchars Castle, enclosures 700m N of
Post-Medieval · Enclosures7.6 km
Leuchars Castle, unenclosed settlement 320m NNE of
Unenclosed settlement8 km
North Straiton, unenclosed settlement 140m N of
Unenclosed settlement8.2 km
Leuchars Castle, settlement 200m and 400m W of and 240m WNW of
Settlement 200m and 400m w of and8.4 km
North Straiton, barrows, pits and building 160m W of
Barrows, pits and building8.4 km
North Straiton, unenclosed settlements 605m W of & 790m WNW of
Unenclosed settlements 605m w of &8.6 km
Leuchars Castle, motte and associated remains
Medieval · Motte and associated remains8.6 km
Cruivie Castle
8.8 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Broughty Castle

Broughty Castle stands on Early Devonian conglomerate, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate.

All Scheduled Monuments