Plean Castle



Plean Tower, also known as Mengie Castle, Menzies Castle and Plane Castle, is located around 1 mi from Plean, in Stirling, central Scotland. It comprises a small oblong tower house probably dating from the 15th century, and an adjoining 16th-century manor house.

History
Robert Bruce granted the barony of Plean, or Plane, to John d’Erth soon after 1314. The castle was probably built by Lord Somerville, who acquired the lands of Plean in 1449, through marriage.

The manor was built in about 1528. In 1643 James Somervell, 8th Lord of Plane, sold the barony and lands to meet debts. It passed to the Nicholsons and the Elphinstones, but both the tower and the manor fell into disrepair. During the 1745 rebellion the Jacobite troops used the property.

Sir David Menzies restored the buildings in 1908, but by the 1930s they were again no longer in use. It was again restored from ruins by Nancy and John Patrick Wright and their sons in 1991-1997 to form a home and holiday accommodation.

Structure
Plean Castle originally had three storeys and a garret, with parapet corbelling. The great hall is in the tower; it has painted ceiling beams and a large fireplace. There is a vaulted basement in the manor house, which is connected to the tower by a wooden walkway. In the grounds there are a sculpture garden and a large pond. It is a category B listed building.