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The tall ruined tower of Invermark Castle among fields at the head of Glen Esk.
Angus

Invermark Castle

A tall ruined tower house of the Lindsays at the head of Glen Esk by Loch Lee, built to guard the glen against Highland raiders.

Welcome

At the very head of Glen Esk, where the road ends and the hills close in around Loch Lee, a tall grey tower stands alone in the fields.

Invermark Castle was built by the Lindsays of Crawford to guard the glen, for the passes through the hills here were the way the Highland raiders came down to drive off cattle and sheep. The oldest part of the tower dates from around 1526.

It has its stories. In 1607 Lord Edzell's son hid here after killing Lord Spynie in an Edinburgh street, and the Lindsays still used it now and then until the eighteenth century. By 1803 it was a ruin, and stone from its outbuildings went into Lochlee church nearby. Its doorway is high in the wall, barred by an iron yett.

The tower cannot be entered, but it is a fine place to begin the walk along Loch Lee into the hills.

A short drive awayGlenesk Folk MuseumA folk museum and café in the Retreat at Tarfside, high in Glen Esk, telling the life of the glen and run largely by volunteers.18 min by roadSee itThe white front of the Retreat at Tarfside, with tall chimneys and a red-framed window.
Before you go

The tower can be seen at any time from the track; it is a ruin and cannot be entered.

Where
The head of Glen Esk, by Loch Lee, north of Brechin.
Where it is

At the head of Glen Esk, by the east end of Loch Lee.

Close byGlen Esk.
  1. Stone arch topped with a cross stands alone in a glenQueen's WellUnder a mile1 min by road
  2. The river running down the head of Glen Esk towards the hills.Loch LeeUnder a mile4 min by road
  3. The stone buildings and pagoda-roofed kiln of Glencadam Distillery, Brechin.Glencadam DistilleryA Brechin distillery since 1825.22 miles53 min by road
  4. Church nave with wooden pews facing a stained glass window and organ pipesBrechin CathedralA cathedral with a round tower, at the foot of the glen.22 miles53 min by road
  5. The green and cream station building of the Caledonian Railway at Brechin.Caledonian RailwayA heritage railway from Brechin.22 miles53 min by road
Directions
The white front of the Retreat at Tarfside, with tall chimneys and a red-framed window.AttractionsGlenesk Folk Museum5.7 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the castle, and when each is next free.

Stone tower with turret roof surrounded by pine trees at duskTower O'Ess
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Aboyne
  • 7 miles from Invermark
Free 28–30 OctWoodend
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Angus
  • 11 miles from Invermark
Free 1–3 NovWest Millfield
  • Sleeps 5
  • In Angus
  • 11 miles from Invermark
Free 1–3 NovA stone gate lodge with steep gables and green-framed windows sits beside a stone boundary wall, a planter of flowers by the green door.Joiners Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Angus
  • 11 miles from Invermark
Free 30 Oct – 1 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in AngusAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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For further reading, before you go.