Brucklay Castle

Brucklay Castle is a ruinous Scots baronial house, originally constructed in 1849 by Thomas Mackenzie, with contributions from Mackenzie and Matthews in 1881, 1888, and 1894. The building is a reconstruction of a 17th century tower house, which likely incorporates elements from the 16th century. It underwent alterations in 1765, including changes to the west front, and again in 1815. The structure has three and four storeys, featuring a tall central tower and a caphouse added to the southwest of the earlier building. In 1953, partial demolition occurred, but some details remain on the east (entrance), north, and west elevations, along with some interior walls. The materials used include harl, squared granite, and coursed rubble, with some ashlar margins and architraves. Decorative features include elaborate corbels, roll and ropework mouldings, band courses, and chamfered arrises.

The east elevation features a turreted and heavily corbelled porte cochere that projects from the centre of a four-storey crowstepped bay, which has a rounded angle to the left that transitions to a square and then round at the attic bartizan. There are square-headed windows, including one at the gablehead that is corbelled and canopied. To the right, there is a regularly-fenestrated two-storey and attic, two-bay block with a bartizan at the outer angle and a single-storey, bartizaned bay beyond. To the left of centre, there are two bays that formerly mirrored the right side, with some evidence of openings.

The north elevation has a three-storey, two-bay crowstepped gable at the centre, with two bays to the right and another crowstepped bay angled to the left, which is covered with vegetation. There is a further two-bay crowstepped gable to the outer left, with a single-storey bay projecting at the ground level.

The west elevation, dating from 1765, is a four-storey, three-bay structure with a stair tower added in 1849. It is built of coursed squared granite and shows evidence of a single-storey service courtyard projecting at the ground level. The central door on the first floor is architraved and features a semicircular pediment with the monogrammed initials 'ADF', along with regular fenestration. To the left is a corbelled round tower from 1849, and to the right is an angle turret. There is an isolated outer right angled bay with a corbelled and pedimented oriel window at the apex, which are remnants of the 19th century south elevation.

Inside, the ground level is largely filled with debris, covering vaults that have been broken through in places.