Broughty Castle

1454 

James II, King of Scots, gave George Douglas, the 4th Earl of Angus, permission to build a fortified tower on the bank of the River Tay. 

No one is sure whether the tower that Douglas built was made of wood or stone or how large it was, but we do know that Broughty castle is on the same plot as the original fort. 

1489-1496 (Castle Constructed)

In 1489, four English ships were captured by the Scots in the mouth of the River Tay. Anticipating a full-fledged attack by the English, King James IV ordered a strong, stone fort to be built on the river's mouth. 

Andrew, 2nd Lord Gray, was in charge of the construction of Broughty Castle, and he completed it sometime between 1490 and 1496. By the time of its completion, it looked much like it does today, with a four-story tower, several other short buildings, and encircling curtain walls. 

1547

From 1544- 1551, King Henry VIII of England launched a war with Scotland to prevent Scotland from becoming too powerful and to convince Mary, Queen of Scots, to marry Henry's son Edward. 

In 1547, during the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, English forces attacked Broughty Castle, forcing the Grays and Scottish troops to surrender. The tower was then overtaken by the English, who remained in Dundee for more than two years. 

During this time, the English forces refortified the tower, adding new stone structures, an embankment, and a more concrete curtain wall around it. They also recorded their progress by carving the date of completion in stone, which was supposedly in 1549. 

1550

The Scots and their French allies led an attack on Broughty castle to drive the English out. They succeeded, and the Castle was restored to the Gray family, who continued to live in the tower. 

1651 (Castle Attacked)

After 100 years of peace at Broughty Castle, General Monck, sent by Oliver Cromwell, attacked the tower in the Siege of Dundee, the final battle of the English Civil Wars fought on Scottish land. 

Monck captured most of Dundee in his attack, and he forced the Scots to flee to the north. Monck left the Castle uninhabited since he had already captured the rest of Dundee and saw no threat in Broughty. 

1666

The 8th Lord Gray sold Broughty Castle. Already, it had been in a state of decay, but it only continued to get worse, as it was uninhabited and unattended for the next 200 years.

1801

George Hunter, the Lord of what is now called Broughty Ferry, laid out a new plan for constructing a village around the Castle. Between his initial plan and its completion in the 1820s, Broughty Ferry village was born, and it became known as "the richest square mile in Europe."  

Thriving with jute mills and a whaling-ship harbour, Broughty Ferry brought in much trade, resulting in a booming economy. 

1846

The Edinburgh and Northern Railway Company wanted to expand their railways to Broughty Ferry. As a result, they purchased Broughty Castle, but they never did anything with the property. 

1861 (Castle Remodelled)

The War Office bought Broughty Castle and remodelled it completely, adding enough space for 14 men and a commander. During this time, they also added gun emplacements. 

1889-1932

Many changes were made to the tower at this time. First, it was made into a military school; then, it housed the Tay Division Submarine Miners Royal Engineers, who laid mines in the river during the Crimean War. 

The tower underwent even more changes during WWI and WWII.  

1969 (Converted to Museum)

In 1969, Broughty Castle was converted into a historical museum.