The Castles of Clan Brown

Clan Brown are a powerful family who have held a number of fittingly grand homes. Exploring a clan’s castles is one of the best ways to put yourself in their shoes and get closer to your ancestors. Luckily, several of Clan Brown’s strongholds have stood the test of time and are still around for you to visit today!

One of the best options is the mighty Carsluith Castle, which stands three miles south of Creetown and looks out across the sweeping Wigtown Bay. 

Carsluith dates back to as early as the 1400s and seems to have been built in at least two stages.  It was originally built for John Cairns of Orcharton, the nephew of a follower of the 4th Earl of Douglas. It passed to the Broun family of New Abbey in the early 1500s.

The entrance takes the classic L-shape design, chosen to make the castle as easy to defend as possible, while once you venture inside, you can find a ground floor, first and second floor, and accessible roof. The ground floor contained two vaulted storage cellars, while the first floor held the castle’s main hall. The two further stories were made up of private chambers to house the Broun family and any visitors. A modern timber walkway has been constructed at roof level, which provides expansive views over the rest of the castle and the surrounding countryside.

Carsluith Castle by Anthony Harrison

In addition to its fascinating architecture, Carsluith is also notable for one particularly significant resident! It is thought that Gilbert Broun, the last Abbot of Sweetheart Abbey, was born at the Castle. He took his Holy Orders during a time of crisis for the Scottish Church, serving as Abbot during the Protestant Reformation of 1560. He continued to strengthen the Abbey and perform Catholic Mass despite strong opposition from the government and the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. 

Carsluith stayed in the Broun family until 1748 when James Broun, a merchant, sold the land to finance his emigration to India. It then changed hands several times over the following century and a half, before entering into the ownership and care of the Scottish government in 1913.

Today, it is run by Historic Environment Scotland, and attracts countless visitors each year. Entry to the castle is free so why not visit their website to plan a trip! 

Our next Clan Brown site for today is Bruntsfield House, on Warrender Park Road in Edinburgh. It was first owned by Richard Brown, a descendant of the notorious Richard de Browne, who was known as the Flower of Chivalry, and executed in 1320 for conspiracy against Robert the Bruce. The name ‘Bruntsfield’ itself references the great Clan Brown, being derived from ‘Broun’s Field.’ 

Sadly, the original castle was destroyed in 1544, but it was rebuilt during the second half of the 16th century following a classic z-plan style. A large tower was installed from the south-west corner, while a smaller tower rose from the north-east corner. The ground floor was vaulted, and a grand main staircase led from the entrance to the first floor. It is thought that a second spiral staircase once led to a platform which would have had spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle. 

Bruntsfield House by Kim Traynor

In 1603, John Fairlie of Braid purchased Bruntsfield and set about remodelling and extending, adding a whole new wing onto the east end of the main block. This addition boasted much larger windows than the rest of the castle, which Fairlie adorned with carvings of the date ‘1605’ and etched initials representing himself and his wife, surrounded by stylised thistles. 

The Fairlie family held onto Bruntsfield until 1695, when they sold it to George Warrender of Lochend, who made his own improvements. He added an external staircase to the west wall of the main block so that the garden could be accessed from the drawing room on the first floor. He also built a wall surrounding the property with a striking arched gateway, proving both protection and grandeur to the property. 

Bruntsfield remained with the Warrender family until 1935, when the Edinburgh Corporation purchased the building to use as a children’s home. Today, it forms a key part of James Gillespie’s High School. We wonder if the students know that they are studying on the site of such fascinating Scottish history! 

Our final site for today is one of Clan Brown’s oldest ancestral homes. Located 30 minutes south-east of Edinburgh, Colstoun House is a stunning landmark nestled in acres of beautiful parklands. The walled garden provides an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, serving as a valued supplier for several local farm shops and events caterers. 

The site is also used to host numerous weddings and celebrations each year. They are also committed to honouring their clan heritage, encouraging any descendent of Clan Brown to feel free to contact them to arrange a visit, which you can do here.

However, what struck us most about Colstoun House is the intriguing popular legend that supposedly unfolded within its walls, involving a marriage, a wizard, and a magical pear! 

Colstoun House by Tom Parnell

​In 1543, George Broun married the daughter of Sir Hugo de Gifford, often said to have been a wizard or magician. Sir Hugo gave the couple a pear encased in a silver box as a wedding present, promising that as long as it was kept safe, the family would enjoy wealth and good fortune. 

Supposedly, many years later in 1692, Lady Elizabeth Mackenzie married Sir George Broun of Colstoun and, on their wedding night, couldn’t resist taking a bite from the enchanted pear. The couple were horrified to see the fruit quickly turn to stone. 

It seemed that the pear’s protective spell had been broken, and the family were plunged into a period of misfortune. George Broun ended up in a ruinous amount of gambling debt and was forced to sell the Colstoun estate to his younger brother, Robert. 

Robert, however, sadly drowned soon after, and when George also passed in 1718, the family was left without a male heir. George and Elizabeth’s daughter, Jean, inherited the estate, whilst Robert’s title went to the Brouns of Thornydyke. 

Today, you can find the pear motif in much of the House’s decor in reference to this mysterious tale. 

That brings us to the end of this month’s blog. We hope you have enjoyed exploring a few Clan Brown castles with us and perhaps feel a bit closer to your fascinating ancestors!  

Please do get in touch if you have been to, or plan to go to any of the family’s ancestral homes, we’d love to hear about your experiences. 

If you’d like to learn more, head over to our Clan Brown page and keep an eye out for the rest of our content, as we will be focusing on this mighty clan for the whole month!  

Image Sources:

Carsluith Castle This is a view taken from the main road, which gives an idea of its small size by Anthony Harrison, CC BY-SA 2.0

Bruntsfield House, Whitehouse Loan by kim traynor, CC BY-SA 2.0

Colstoun House by Tom Parnell - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0