Invermark Castle

Invermark Castle is a tall, roofless Lindsay tower house on a mound beside the Water of Mark, where Glen Lee and Glen Mark meet at the head of Glen Esk. It’s a short exterior stop rather than an interior visit: the original first-floor doorway is barred, and entry isn’t possible. I’d stop if you’re already heading into the glen, then keep walking toward Loch Lee rather than treating the tower as a full castle tour.

The Lindsay family rebuilt the castle around 1526, using an existing 14th-century keep. Sir David Lindsay strengthened the ground floor with gun loops in 1605 and changed the upper accommodation, adding a top floor and attic. Those ground-floor openings and the raised, barred entrance make more sense when you know this was a defensive tower.

The public road from Edzell ends at a free car park at Invermark, followed by a short walk past the castle toward Loch Lee. A good track continues beside the loch toward waterfalls at the head of the glen, and this is also the Mount Keen approach. The castle itself is quick to see; the open glen and longer walk are what make the drive worthwhile. There are no shops or toilets at the head of the glen, so sort out food and facilities before reaching Invermark.

Trees along the Water of Mark hide much of the castle from the southeast until you’re nearby. For a photo, take the view from the approach once the tower clears the trees and include the projecting corner turret; it gives the tower a sense of height that a tight wall shot can lose.

By 1803 the castle was in ruins. Stone and slates from its outbuildings and roof went into Lochlee Parish Church and the manse, the minister’s house, a few hundred yards away near the road-end car park. Some slates in the church roof date to the castle’s 1605 alterations, so the kirk carries a surviving piece of the tower’s story.