The barony of Dun was a possession of David de Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, in the reign of David II, but after his forfeiture and death in 1335, the barony was granted in 1346 to Sir William Wiseman. This castle was abandoned in the second half of the 17th century, and the House of Dun was built to replace it in the 18th.Īlthough it is known that Dun was held in barony in the reign of Alexander III, the sole mention of it in documents does not name the baron in question, so the earliest holders of the barony are unknown. This would suggest that in the 16th/17th century, the tower house and courtyard of the later Erskine castle was a separate enclosure to the burial ground, and protected the approach to it.
If in the original position, it would indicate an outer courtyard which extended a hundred metres or so from the closest point of the burial ground enclosure, an extraordinarily large enclosure.
Surviving remnants of the later policies of Dun Castle include a large walled garden with the arch of an earlier gate which probably formed part of a courtyard wall. If the old church was in the location of the mausoleum, logic would dictate it being within the grounds of the medieval castle. The location suggested on the Canmore database is actually on the steep slope, which is impossible, so we are left with a situation where the non-publication of the excavation report, and the limited nature of the excavation leaves a contradiction as to where the castle actually was. This does cause confusion since the chapel which now forms the mausoleum is supposed to have been in use form the 14th century, therefore predating or being a contemporary of, the castle. Excavations carried out in July 2014 confirmed the presence of a large ditch identified the previous year and substantial stone foundations which confirm the location of the castle these remain unpublished but apparently suggested the presence of a tower house and courtyard type of castle, common from the late 14th century onwards. The original castle almost certainly occupied the site of the mausoleum and burial ground on the point of the promontory, which would have been defended by a ditch across the width of the land – and therefore easily defended. The site is strategic, on the edge of a steep sided promontory overlooking the junction of two burns which flow into the marshy lowlands of Montrose Basin. It is possible to visit the site of the old castle without entering the National Trust property, but there isnt any parking or signage to tell you where the site is namely up on the hill to the west by the old churchyard. Dun Castle has no visible remains today, but is the medieval predecessor of the National Trust’s House of Dun.
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