Scottish Castles Association

Situated near the town of Forres in Moray, Burgie Castle is a tall tower which once formed part of a larger Z-plan castle largely demolished in 1800 to provide stones for the construction of Burgie House.

Burgie Castle with vertical cracks between its windows

Dated 1602 the castle is of superb quality and it is unfortunate that it has been allowed to fall into its present state with major cracks running up its walls. Thankfully emergency consolidation work carried out in 2008 to prevent its fall was successful.

The Scottish Castles Association were invited to view Burgie in advance of possible restoration. We regard this as feasible as modern techniques can tie the gaps and the tower is still roofed though its key purpose now appears to be providing a happy roost for a colony of local pigeons.

The nearby Blervie Castle, pictured below, which recently collapsed, is a salutary tale and we hope that Burgie Castle does not crumble in its footsteps.

Blervie Castle - before and after its collapse

Article by SCA member Brian McGarrigle.