Edzell Castle and Garden

Brechin, United Kingdom, United Kingdom

---

Edzell Castle and Garden near Brechin in Angus, Scotland, features a ruined 16th-century tower house built by the powerful Lindsay family, once visited by Mary Queen of Scots, alongside one of Britain's most unique early 17th-century walled gardens known as the "Pleasance." Created in 1604 by Sir David Lindsay, the garden's enclosing walls boast rare sculpted stone panels depicting the Seven Cardinal Virtues, Seven Planetary Deities, and Seven Liberal Arts, surrounding parterres of box hedges shaped as thistles, roses, and fleurs-de-lys filled with seasonal plants. Highlights include a charming summerhouse, nesting niches for birds, flower boxes, and grassy paths offering a serene Renaissance-inspired oasis managed by Historic Environment Scotland, open April to September with accessible grounds but steps limiting castle access.