Extract from Castles of the Clans - Menzies

The name, which is pronounced ‘Mingiz’, is Norman in origin, and it comes from ‘Mesniere’ in France. The family came to England following the invasion by the William the Conqueror, where they became known as Manners and whose descendants became the Dukes of Rutland. The name is recorded in Scotland from 1224 and Robert Menzies was Great Chamberlain of Scotland. He was granted lands in Glen Lyon and others parts of Perthshire. Sir Robert Menzies fought on the side of Robert the Bruce and was given more property, and added his seal to the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320.

Comrie Castle [NN 787486] is now a ruinous L-plan tower house, which stands four and half miles west of Aberfeldy in Perthshire. The castle was built and held by the Menzies family, but was burned out in 1487, and the clan moved to Weem and what is now known as Castle Menzies. Comrie was repaired and used by branches of the family until around 1715.

Castle Menzies [NN 837496], which was originally known as Place of Weem, is closer to Aberfeldy and is a magnificent extended tower house, Z-plan but now with a later wing. The original Place of Weem was built after 1487 but was sacked fifteen years later by Neil Stewart of Garth. Sir Robert Menzies was incarcerated at Garth and was forced to sign away some of his lands by Stewart, who claimed them as part of a dowry settlement. The case was found against Stewart and he was forced to make restitution. The Menzies clan fought against the Marquis of Montrose, and the then chief was killed in a skirmish, and his son was then slain at the Battle of Inverlochy in 1645. The castle was occupied by Cromwell’s forces, under General Monck, in the 1650s, but the family were made Baronets of Nova Scotia in 1665. The chiefs did not support the Jacobite Risings, and the castle was captured and occupied by Jacobites in 1715. Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed here for two nights in 1746, but four days later the castle was occupied by Hanoverian forces, led by the Duke of Cumberland. The chiefs again did not support the Rising, but many of the clan, including their leader Menzies of Shian, were killed at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The last of the Menzies line died in 1918, and the castle was used as a Polish Army medical supplies depot during World War II. The castle became derelict, but is being restored by a trust established by the Clan Menzies Society, who acquired the building in 1957. Castle Menzies is open to the public (01887 820982; http://www.menzies.org/ ).

Meggernie Castle [NN 554460] is a very attractive, gleaming and turreted tower house of five storeys, to which has been added a mansion. It stands some eight miles north of Killin in Perthshire, and was held by the Campbells, before passing to the Menzies family of Culdares. James Menzies of Culdares, ‘Old Culdares’, was a Jacobite who took part in the Rising of 1715, and was then exiled. He was allowed to return and later sheltered Jacobite fugitives while entertaining government troops during the 1745-46 Rising. Meggernie is reputedly haunted by the ghost of the wife of one of the Menzies lairds. The story goes that the laird slew his wife in a jealous rage and cut her body in half to hide it. He managed to bury her lower half, but not her other remains which were concealed in an upper chamber. The upper floors of the castle are said to be haunted by the apparition of her upper body, while her lower half haunts the lower floors and the burial ground. The property later passed to the Stewarts of Cardney, and the castle is a private residence.

Pitfodels Castle [NJ 918032] was to the south-west of Aberdeen but little remains of the castle, and the old stronghold was replaced by Norwood Hall. The property was held by the Reids, but passed by marriage to the Menzies family in the sixteenth century, and they also had a house, Pitfodel’s Lodging [NJ 945063] in Aberdeen, although this has been demolished. Pitfodels Castle was apparently abandoned about 1622. Sir Gilbert Menzies of Pitfodels supported the Marquis of Montrose, and was at Inverlochy in 1645; and the family were also Jacobites. The family founded the Catholic College of Blairs, although this is now closed. Norwood Hall, built for the Ogstoun family, stands nearby the site of Pitfodels and is now a hotel (01224 868951; http://www.norwoodhall.co.uk/ ).

The Menzies clan also held:

Arnprior Castle [NS 613949], Arnprior, Stirlingshire; site of castle. Held by the Menzies family at the end of the sixteenth century, but passed to the Buchanans.

Blairs [NJ 883008], near Cults, Kincardineshire; castle replaced by mansion and seminary. Held by the Menzies family from the sixteenth century. John Menzies of Pitfodels gave the property to the Catholic Church in 1829 as a college for boys hoping to become priests, and also helped found St Margaret’s Convent in Edinburgh. The college closed in 1986, although the chapel and a museum are open to the public.

Bolfracks [NN 822481], near Aberfeldy, Perthshire; castle replaced by mansion. Held by the Stewarts, but passed to the Menzies family in the eighteenth century, and then went to the Campbells of Breadalbane in the nineteenth century. The fine gardens are open to the public from April to October (01887 820344; http://www.rannoch.net/Bolfracks-Garden/) .

Cammo House [NT 174747], near Edinburgh; site of castle or old house and mansion. Held by the Niddrie family and then by the Menzies family, who were in possession at the end of the seventeenth century. Cammo later went to the Clerks and then to others, and the mansion was demolished after 1975. The grounds are now a country park and there is a visitor centre.

Culdares [NN 728469], near Fortingall, Perthshire; possible site of castle or old house. Held by the Moncreiffes, but passed to the Menzies family. Colonel James Menzies of Culdares was a Royalist officer during the Civil War in the seventeenth century and was wounded nine times in various fights. Menzies of Culdares fought for the Jacobites in the 1715 Rising, but was captured after the rebellion and was exiled to North America. He was an agricultural improver, and introduced the larch to Scotland. He was too old to take part in the 1745-46 Rising, but sent Bonnie Prince Charlie a fine horse. Many Jacobites were sheltered in Glen Lyon following the failure of the rising.

Durisdeer Castle [NS 891042], near Carronbridge, Dumfriesshire; site of castle. Held by the Menzies family, and occupied by the English during the Wars of Independence. Probably demolished by the end of the fourteenth century.

Enoch Castle [NS 879009], near Thornhill, Dumfriesshire; site of castle. Held by the Menzies family, and said to have been captured by William Wallace in 1296. It was sold to the Douglas Duke of Queensberry in 1703, then to the Scott Dukes of Buccleuch.

Finlarig Castle [NN 575338], near Killin, Stirlingshire; ruinous castle. Held by the Menzies family, but passed to the Campbells, who built or rebuilt the castle in the 1620s. There is a ruinous mausoleum close by, and the site is accessible with care.

Fordyce Castle [NJ 556638], near Portsoy, Aberdeenshire; restored L-plan tower house. Held by the Dunbars and by the Ogilvie Earls of Findlater, but the castle was built by Thomas Menzies of Durn, Provost of Aberdeen. Part of the castle can be rented as holiday accommodation (01261 843722; http://www.fordycecastle.co.uk/ ).

Maryculter House [NO 845999], near Aberdeen; mansion incorporating part of castle. Held by the Menzies family, who built a house in the seventeenth century on the site of a house of the Knights Templar. The stone effigies of Gilbert Menzies (who died in 1452) and Marjorie his wife were taken from the ruinous church at Maryculter to the Kirk of St Nicholas in Aberdeen, which is open to the public (01224 643494; http://www.kirk-of-stnicholas.org.uk) . Maryculter House is now used as a hotel (01224 732124; http://www.maryculterhousehotel.com/ ).

Pitcur Castle [NO 252370], near Coupar Angus, Angus; massive ruinous tower house. Held by the Chisholms and by the Halyburtons of Dirleton, but the property was sold to the Menzies family in 1880. The castle was replaced by Hallyburton House [NO 248386], dating from 1680.

Shian or Wester Shian [NN 842400], near Aberfeldy, Perthshire; site of castle. Held by the Menzies family. Menzies of Shian led the 300- strong force from the clan in the 1745-46 Jacobite Rising, held the rank of colonel, and was killed during the fighting.

Whitehouse [NT 187766], Cramond, Edinburgh; altered L-plan tower house. Held by several families, including by the Menzies family after 1676.

http://www.menzies.org/
No. of castles/sites: 18
Rank: 76=/764
Xref: Manners