Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle is a fortified castle in the Scottish town of Broughty Ferry, in the council area of Dundee, built in its present form in 1496, but whose origins date back to 1454. Between the late 15th and mid-17th centuries, it was owned by the Gray family.
History
Originally there was a fortress built in 1454 by the 4th lord of Angus.
Forty-six years later, however, the 2nd Lord of Gray was allowed to rebuild the building. Construction finished in 1496.
On September 20, 1547, the castle was surrounded by English troops. Two months later, the Scots then tried in vain to recapture it two months later, on 22 September 1547: the army, consisting of 3,000 units, destroyed part of the tower.
However, the castle was reconquered by the Scots and the French two and a half years later, on 21 February 1550.
During the following century, the castle was once again inhabited by the members of the Gray family, who had also repaired the damage suffered by the building during military operations.
On August 31, 1651, during the English civil war, the castle suffered a new attack, however, notably by the parliamentary troops led by General George Monck: this new military action forced the Gray family to flee, which 15 later he sold the castle.
After the Gray family had definitively abandoned the building, Broughty Castle fell into a state of neglect, so much so that in 1787 it was already described as a ruined fortress.
Between 1886 and 1887, barracks were built in the castle area to house the soldiers who would have to lay mines in the river Tay bed in case of war.
In 1969, a museum was opened inside the castle.
Architecture
The castle stands along the north bank of the River Tay.
Inside the castle is housed the Orchar Gallery, one of the most important Scottish Victorian art galleries in the United Kingdom: the gallery displays 30 paintings from the collection of Dundee businessman James Guthrie Orchar.