📌 Rhynd, Perth & Kinross
★★★
Although only a few miles from Perth city centre as the crow flies, the local topography and the barrier of the River Tay means that access to Elcho Castle is by a lonely stretch of unclassified road on the north side of Moncreiffe Hill. Visitors who venture here are rewarded with a veritable warren of passages, spiral staircases, chambers and a seemingly excessive number of old toilets. This fortified former home of the Wemyss Family was constructed in the 16th century and still remains pretty much intact. It dates from the period in which wealthy families’ residences were transitioning from being primarily defensive to primarily comfortable to live in; Elcho Castle seems to represent a reasonable compromise between the two. Just short of the castle on the access road, keep an eye out for the castle doocot; until fairly recently you could look inside to see hundreds of nest boxes, but it’s now private.
🌍 Location
📌 At minor road end 1 mi north of Rhynd
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NO 164211
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.374629,-3.354523
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
⌚ Friday to Wednesday, April to September
🎫 £8.50 adult / £5 child / free for Historic Environment Scotland members – discount for booking online
