Affleck Castle
{{Short description|15th century castle in Angus, Scotland}}
{{redirect|Auchenleck Castle|Auchinleck Castle|Auchinleck Castle, East Ayrshire}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox military installation
|name= Affleck Castle
|coordinates = {{coord|56.53855|-2.82437|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|image= Affleck Castle (geograph 4266315).jpg
|caption= Castle in 2014
|mapframe = yes
|mapframe-wikidata = yes
|type=
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|embedded = {{Infobox designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Scheduled Monument
| designation1_offname = Affleck Castle
| designation1_type = Secular: castle
| designation1_date = 23 November 1987
| designation1_number = {{Historic Environment Scotland|num=SM90007|short=yes}}
}}
}}
Affleck Castle, also known as Auchenleck Castle, is a tall L-plan tower house dating from the 15th century, {{convert|4|mi}} north of Monifieth and {{convert|1|mi}} west of Monikie Parish Church, Angus, Scotland.{{cite web |url=http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/33311/details/affleck+castle/|work=Canmore|title=Affleck Castle|accessdate=2013-04-16 |publisher=Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland}}Lindsay, Maurice (1986) The Castles of Scotland. Constable. {{ISBN|0-09-473430-5}} p.46 It is a scheduled monument.{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=SM90007|desc=Affleck Castle|access-date=2019-03-25}}
It is not open to the public.
History
The castle was built on the lands of the Auchenlecks of that Ilk held since 1471.The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry ISBN 1-899874-00-3 From the mid-17th century it belonged to a family of Reids, who forfeited the castle in 1746 because of their activities as Jacobites.{{cite web |url=http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst8870.html| title=Affleck Castle|work=Gazetteer for Scotland |accessdate=2013-05-15}} It has not been occupied since 1760, when a new mansion was built.
Structure
Affleck Castle is a well-preserved free-standing rectangular tower of four storeys and a parapeted garret. It is {{convert|60|ft}} tall, and has thick rubble walls, with several mural rooms. A few steps down from the entrance is the basement, which is sub-divided.
The hall, which is on the first floor, has a vaulted ceiling; this supports a withdrawing room. Above the main staircase is an entresol bedroom, almost {{convert|7|ft}} square, reached by an eleven-step staircase in the east wall. The stairs lead from the hall. The withdrawing room has a spy-hole into the hall below. This would have allowed all movement to the main turnpike stair to be observed. The room has window seats, wall closets, and a shafted fireplace. A step up from this room leads to a circular oratory, equipped with aumbry, piscine, holy-water stoup and stone candle-holders. This room is also vaulted. There is a bedroom in each of the upper floors.
A projection by the door, with a square cap-house, houses the stair, and there is a square turret over the south-west angle. There are two devices for dropping missiles or liquids on attackers: one over the arched door; and the other on the west front, while the ground floor is equipped with gun loops.