Mains Castle

History

The castle is believed to have been built in 1562 by Sir David Graham, nephew of Cardinal Beaton. A keystone in the western gateway bears this date as well as the initials DG and DMO for David Graham and Dame Margaret Ogilvy. A horizontal beam in one of the eastern courtyard doors bears a date of 1582, indicating a possible completion date. The castle was the seat of the Grahams of Fintry and remained so until the 19th century when Robert Graham of Fintry sold the lands to David Erskine, with the condition that his family could retain the territorial title of Graham of Fintry and that the estate revert to the older name of Lumlathen or Linlathen. The estate was later sold by Shipley Gordon Stuart Erskine to James Key Caird, who gifted the castle and its lands to the town council as a site for a public park in 1913. The park was later opened in 1923 by Caird's half sister Mrs Marryat. The castle was renovated in the 1980s through a government scheme for the unemployed, as many of the buildings had become roofless.

An earlier castle was held by the Douglas Earls of Angus from the fourteenth century til 1530 when it passed to the Grahams. Since December 2015, Mains Castle has been in the ownership of a Mr Dean Duncan. Since the takeover of the castle by mr Dean Duncan of kirkton it has seen a great deal of renovations to front garden. where all overgrown dead vegetation has been removed and a newly erected garden fence in keeping with the look of the park.The upper room known as the fintry suit has been completely renovated with fully papered and painted and a wall to wall carpet replaced in a nice modern look new lighting has also been fitted old mantles have been put aside for safekeeping. all new table linens have been put on tables castle style linens have also been preserved for public use if required. The kitchen has been also fitted with a brand new modern kitchen as the old kitchen was not in keeping for health and safety rules of the times. The crockery has all been replaced and all cookers are in the middle of being replaced with new ones the air ventilation system has been modified in keeping with the modern day rules. Within the Castle a 10,000 brand new fire system has also been replaceced as the old fire system was very outdated this gives the castle a higher amount of people allowed at each event. The bathrooms have been renovated ladies and gents in keeping with new standards in both areas have new electric hand driers and also new toilet roll holders and new quick spray air fresheners that spray every few minutes and also new ladies bins for personal use. These have also been papered and repainted. The Graham suit bar has been renovated and has been redecorated with new bar pumps and new work surfaces wash basin has been replaced and new lighting installed. I Mr Dean Duncan will keep updating with renovation work as it's done