Ecclesiamagirdle House

NO11NW 3.00 10756 16398

NO11NW 3.01 10774 16398 Dovecot

NO11NW 3.02 10752 16380 Steps

NO11NW 3.03 10752 16380 Gateway

For (adjacent) Ecclesmagirdle Chapel and country house of Glenearn, see NO11NW 2 and NO11NW 58.00 respectively.

(NO 1075 1639) Ecclesiamagirdle House (NR)

OS 6" map, (1959)

Ecclesiamagirdle House is situated close to the chapel (NO11NW 2) and is also in a ruinous state. The date of erection is supposed to have been 1636, the same as the chapel.

Name Book 1860.

Ecclesmagirdle (or Ecclesiamagirdle) House: Built 1648.

SDD List, 1967.

Ecclesiamagirdle House is a typical small fortified laird's house of the early 17th century. It is built on the T-plan, with a main block running E-W and the stairwing projecting centrally southwards. The walls rise to three storeys, with the stair-wing a storey higher, to contain the usual watch-chamber, reached by a turret-stair corbelled out in the re-entrant angle, this turret having an oversailing roof. The entrance, surmounted by a heraldic panel, is on the S front of the stair-wing. The ground floor is vaulted. The office wing attached to the W side is of 19th century date (SDD 1960-).

There has been a courtyard to the S. This is entered by an arched gateway (Listed: B) surmounted by a panel dated 1648, with the initials S D C and D A C for Sir David Carmichael of Balmedie and Dame Anne, his wife.

The lands were the property of Lindores Abbey in the 12th century. At the Reformation they were granted to Sir David Leslie, who in turn sold 'Eglismagirdill' to William Halyburton of Pitcur, and in 1629 King James confirmed a charter of the lands from Halyburton to Carmichael, who presumably thereupon built the present house.

N Tranter 1962-70.

There is nothing to add to the existing record. On the date of visit the roof of the house was being renovated and it was not possible to gain access to the interior.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS, IF), 27 November 1996.