Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Elcho Castle

Elcho Castle

Scotland
HES SM90140
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Elcho Castle is a fortified residence located on the banks of the River Tay near Perth in Perthshire, Scotland. The castle was constructed in the sixteenth century, with the main structure dating to around 1560, and comprises a central tower flanked by two projecting wings, characteristic of the Z-plan defensive design favoured in Scotland during this period. The castle served as a stronghold for the Murray family and remained an important domestic and military structure throughout the early modern period. Built from local stone with thick defensive walls, the castle reflects both the practical fortifications required during a period of internal Scottish conflicts and the residential needs of a prominent gentry family.

Elcho Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90140. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Elcho Castle?

Elcho Castle is a fortified residence located on the banks of the River Tay near Perth in Perthshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90140.

Who is responsible for protecting Elcho Castle?

Elcho 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 SM90140.

What other scheduled monuments are near Elcho Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carey, Roman temporary camp and enclosure, Abernethy (5 km), Wellfield, enclosure 220m SSE of (5.3 km), Abernethy Round Tower and Pictish symbol stone (5.3 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Elcho Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Elcho 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

Carey, Roman temporary camp and enclosure, Abernethy
Roman · Roman temporary camp and enclosure, abernethy5 km
Wellfield, enclosure 220m SSE of
Post-Medieval · Enclosure5.3 km
Abernethy Round Tower and Pictish symbol stone
5.3 km
Carpow,Roman fortress
Iron Age · Roman fortress5.4 km
Settlement, 130m NNE of Ballendrick House
130m nne of ballendrick house5.7 km
Castle Law,fort,Abernethy
Iron Age · Fort,abernethy6 km
Easter Clunie, unenclosed settlement 400m NW of
Unenclosed settlement6.3 km
Wester Clunie, unenclosed settlement 1000m ENE of
Unenclosed settlement6.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Elcho Castle

Elcho Castle stands on Paleozoic volcanic rocks, bedrock that formed in the Carboniferous. The rock here is intermediate-felsic volcanic rocks.

The wider landscape

Around Elcho Castle

Battle of Tippermuir 1644Battle (1644) · ~7.3 milesBattle of Dupplin MoorBattle (1332) · ~7.5 milesBattle of DunkeldBattle (1689) · ~16 milesBattle of InverkeithingBattle (1651) · ~22.7 miles
All Scheduled Monuments