Description

The monument consists of the remains of a 16th/17th century towerhouse, known as Eden Castle.

Eden is thought to have been built by the Meldrums in the 16th century. It passed to George Leslie, who carried out repairs in 1676- 7. (The date 1677 appears above one of the upper windows on the S facade). The original plan consisted of a main block lying N-S with a tower at the SW angle and another (now destroyed) at the NE angle. A round tower, now also destroyed, was added to the NW angle. Only the S portions of the tower survive. The building is rubble built and has had a vaulted basement and two upper storeys.

The upstanding portion of the tower survives to a height of about 13m, and measures 13.8m N- S by 12.7m E-W over walls about 1.3m thick. The basement of the main block is divided into two cellars and a passage leading to the N portion. A private stair in the SE angle of the S cellar leads to the hall which took up the first floor of the main block.

The basement is well provided with gun-loops and slits. The round-headed entrance is in the re-entrant angle. The tower contained a broad square staircase (now gone), beneath which was a guard room. A circular stair corbelled out in the re-entrant angle leads from the landing of the main staircase to the upperfloor.

The area to be scheduled is rectilinear, extending 3m from the exterior walls of the castle, measuring a maximum of 23.3m N-S by 22m E-W to include the ground plan of the castle, but excluding the concrete farm enclosures, gates and dykes abutting against the N, S and E castle walls, and excluding the road on the W boundary, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a good example, albeit reduced, of a fortified towerhouse dating from the 16th century. As such it provides evidence and has the potential to provide further evidence, through a combination of historical research and archaeological excavation, for domestic and defensive architecture, lifestyle and material culture during the late medieval and early modern periods.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NJ 65 NE 15.

References:

MacGibbon D and Ross T 1887-92, Castellated and Domestic Architecture in Scotland, Vol. II, 272-3.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland