Braikie Castle, 16th-century tower house in Kinnell, Scotland
Braikie Castle is a four-storey tower house from the 16th century located between Arbroath and Brechin with a distinctive L-shaped footprint. The structure features a spiral staircase inside and tall chimney stacks above, along with several narrow defensive openings built for armed protection.
It was built in 1581 for Thomas Fraser of Kinnell and displays a heraldic panel above its door showing combined crests of the Fraser and Kinnaird families. The construction reflects the needs of a wealthy family seeking to show both security and social standing during a period of local tensions.
The castle displays traditional Scottish building features such as corbelled bartizans and crow-stepped gables that reflect the tastes of local noble families. These architectural choices remain visible today and reveal how wealthy landowners built their homes in this region.
The ruin has been without a roof since 1960 and is viewable from the outside with good photographic opportunities from different angles. Visitors should note that the interior may have limited access due to the missing roof and weather conditions.
A carved stone inside documents the marriage of Thomas Fraser and Jane Kinnaird in 1602 through their combined family emblems. This marker of unity between two noble families shows how important such alliances were for holding power in the region.
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