Vayne Castle

Having lived in Angus for the majority of my life, I had never heard of the diminutive Vayne Castle, near Fern and Forfar. We visited on the very first day of 2021; cracking blue skies and a chilly wind. An excellent way to start of a new year of castling!

Vayne Castle is certainly not the easiest to direct you to – we required directions from the local farmer (Vayne Farm), who was happy to let us wander over his fields to the site which is neither marked nor advertised in any way. While January is a good month for tramping over farmland, I would advise always checking in with the farmer first, as we walked over stubble fields clearly utilised for growing crops in the summer.

If heading north up the A90, take the Finavon Hotel turn off, and then first right along the road which passes Easter Balgillo and Nether Balgillo Farms. Right at the top of that road and then right again at the next junction gets you onto the Vayne Farm road (the one across the top of the map), approaching from the West. Alternatively, if approaching while heading South down the A90, take the right turn off for Careston (opposite the Balnabriech cafe) and a left at the crossroads (towards and then through Careston) and stay on that road to approach Vayne Farm from the East.

Just down from the Vayne Farm turn-off is a cottage that we parked behind (with permission from the farmer and marked on the map). From there we walked down the wee lane which heads West, and South down the fence line that divides the fields.

Little information is available on the history of the castle, other than to note it was a 16th Century Z-plan design, with two towers; one square and one round. Further information can be found here on the Historic Environment Scotland website – https://canmore.org.uk/site/33664/vayne-castle – which includes some artist’s impressions of what the castle would have looked like in its prime.

The site is not maintained, is surrounded by a rusty barbed wire and has unfortunately suffered from a tree collapsing through one of the main walls. It is accessible if you are feeling adventurous, and it is possible to gain entry – however – bear in mind it would be a nightmare for emergency services to attend, so be careful!! Also not recommended for parents and carers of young children that like to clamber… the walls really are very weak.

While I was thrilled to find a ruin so close to home, I will not be rushing back to Vayne Castle. The site is not easily accessible, and I was nervous about the wee one and the dogs careering around a building that looks to be on its very last legs. Unfortunately you need to be up close to admire its stature and imagine its former legacy. Just not one for the family…