West of Forres, in Moray, Brodie Castle has at its core a Z-plan tower house dated 1567 — a characteristic example of the Scottish seigneurial architecture of the Renaissance, built under the reigns of Mary Stuart and James VI. ## The tower of the Clan Brodie The heart of the castle is a Z-plan tower house completed in 1567: a central block flanked by two five-storey towers at opposite corners, a device at once defensive and residential typical of the Scotland of the time. It is the seat of Clan Brodie, one of the old families of Moray. The Z-plan — also found at Claypotts, Castle Fraser or Elcho — was the architectural signature of the lesser and middle Scottish nobility of the Renaissance. ## Wars and embellishments The castle was partly burned in 1645 by Lewis Gordon, 3rd Marquess of Huntly, during the civil wars — a reminder that seventeenth-century Scotland remained a land of clan and religious conflict. Turned into a mansion in the nineteenth century, Brodie nonetheless keeps its Renaissance core and fine wrought ceilings. The estate also holds Rodney's Stone (a Pictish stele) and a famous collection of daffodils. ## What to see
- The Z-plan keep of 1567. - The wrought ceilings. - Rodney's Stone (Pictish stele) and the garden. ## Did you know? In 1645, in the midst of the civil wars, Brodie Castle was partly burned by Lewis Gordon, Marquess of Huntly — an episode recalling that, even after the relative calming of the Renaissance, the old clan rivalries (Gordon against neighbours) could still set a house ablaze. ## Practical information Brodie Castle lies near Forres, in Moray; in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. ## Quiz
- From when does the Z-plan tower of Brodie date? - From 1567 - From the twelfth century - From the eighteenth century
- Which clan was seated here? - The Clan Brodie - The Clan Gordon - The Clan Hay
- What did the castle suffer in 1645? - A partial fire during the civil wars - A flood - An earthquake ---