Ethie Castle

Ethie Castle stands in Inverkeilor, about five kilometres north of the fishing town of Arbroath on the Angus coast. It is a 14th-century castle of roughly 1,400 square metres, and it has been available for rent since the summer of 2024.

The castle

The history is the draw. Records of Ethie go back to the early 13th century, and the present site began as a sandstone tower house built by monks of nearby Arbroath Abbey. In 1524 it passed to Cardinal David Beaton, the last cardinal of Scotland, who lived here for about twenty years. The castle describes itself as the second longest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland.

Restoration has kept the character of the building. Wings, towers, turrets and crow-stepped gables define the outline, and inside there are four turnpike staircases, barrel-vaulted rooms, panelled walls, decorative plasterwork, fireplaces and window shutters. A small chapel survives, along with the Cardinal’s Sitting Room, whose secret staircase leads up to the Great Hall.

The suites

Guests sleep in a set of named suites. The names draw on naval and historical history: Admiral Nelson, Trafalgar, Napoleon, HMS Victory, HMS Britannia, Admiral Collingwood, Sir Walter Scott and the Antiquary Suite among them. Ask the castle which suite suits your party, since the rooms differ in character.

Things to do

The estate leans towards country sports and quiet. Hunting, shooting, falconry, salmon fishing and clay pigeon shooting are all listed, alongside tennis, boules, croquet and snooker on site. Whisky and gin distillery visits are easy to arrange, and Glamis Castle and Balmoral are within day-trip range. Hiking along the coast or in the Highlands fills the quieter days, and St Andrews and Gleneagles golf courses lie roughly one to one and a half hours away.

Nearby Lunan Bay slopes gently to the sea, and it is believed Vikings once built a house on the site where Ethie later stood.

Practical notes

Ethie Castle is reached from Arbroath, and the postcode for navigation is DD11 5SP. Bookings are made by enquiry rather than through an online calendar, by phone or email. Weddings and romantic getaways are both part of what the castle offers.