Archaeology Notes

Event ID 665332

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/665332

NJ05NE 1.00 09368 59314

NJ05NE 1.01 09331 59299 Dovecot

For (successor) Burgie House (NJ 0903 5948) and dependant buildings, see NJ05NE 14.00.

(NJ 0937 5931) Burgie Castle (NR) (Remains of)

OS 6" map (1906)

Burgie Castle: This is a well-preserved square tower, which formed part of a larger bulding on the Z-plan, of which the greater part is now removed. The plan shows the probable outline of the main block.

The north west tower and a portion of the main block are the only part of the building now remaining. In the fragment of the main block still left is the fireplace; with above it the coat of arms of the Dunbars, its founders, and the date 1602; its date of foundation.

The building above to the right in Nattes' sketch (J C Nattes unpublished sketches c.1799) is evidently a later addition.

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887

To the west of the tower, by the entrance to the gardens is a dovecot (NJ05NE 1.01) measuring 19 x 17 feet. The small doors and thick walls indicate a dovecot of the old type. No date is visible.

R Douglas 1931

Burgie Castle, and the dovecot (NJ05NE 1.01) at NJ 0932 5929, are as described above. Above the door of the dovecot is an opening similar to those found in the Findrassie and Leuchars dovecots, the former of which bears the date 1631.

Castle revised at 25".

Visited by OS (RD) 6 August 1965.

Burgie Castle [NR]

OS 1:10,000 map, 1975.

Horse-exercising area noted.

NMRS, MS/712/17.

Burgie Castle: impressive square tower which formed part of a larger Z-plan building which was formerly of six storeys; in the main block there is a fireplace with above it the coat of arms of the Dunbars (its founders) and the date 1602 (its date of foundation). There is a true yett at the basement entrance and a superb stone-lined well of curved ashlar construction about 6m S of the NW tower; the conical cover of this feature is broken. The greater part of the building was demolished about 1800 to provide material for Burgie House (NJ05NE 14.00), leaving the NW tower and part of the main block standing.

NMRS, MS/712/19.