Broughty Castle Museum

Over het museum

Broughty Castle stands on a rocky point at the mouth of the River Tay in Broughty Ferry, on the eastern edge of Dundee. The site was fortified in the mid-fifteenth century, and the tower house at its centre was built around 1490 by Andrew, 2nd Lord Gray. The castle played a part in the war of the Rough Wooing in the 1540s, when English forces held it before French and Scottish troops recaptured it in 1550, and it was attacked again during the civil wars of the seventeenth century. After the Gray family sold it in 1666 it slowly fell into ruin.

In the mid-nineteenth century the War Office bought the castle and, fearing a French invasion, rebuilt it as a coastal fortress to protect the Tay. The courtyard walls were rebuilt, new wings were added and emplacements were built for heavy guns. Later additions included a range for submarine miners, who would lay mines in the estuary in an emergency, and a magazine. The castle stayed in military use until 1932 and again from 1939 to 1949, including the Second World War.

Since 1969 the castle has been a public museum, run today by Leisure & Culture Dundee, while the building itself is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. Its free displays cover the history of Broughty Ferry, the geology and wildlife of the surrounding nature reserve, the castle's role in coastal defence and a collection of historic Scottish paintings assembled by the Dundee businessman James Guthrie Orchar. From the observation deck at the top there are wide views over the Tay estuary, where bottlenose dolphins can sometimes be seen.

Hoogtepunten

• Armoury Gallery on the castle's role in coastal defence in the two world wars
• Orchar Collection of more than 400 Victorian Scottish artworks
• Broughty Life Gallery tracing local history from prehistory to today
• Observation deck with views over the Tay and its dolphins
• Free entry

Vaste collectie

• Broughty Life Gallery – A journey through the history of the area from long before the dinosaurs to the present day, following a cartoon family.
• The Orchar Collection – More than 400 works collected by the Dundee businessman James Guthrie Orchar, regarded as an important Victorian collection of Scottish art.
• The Armoury Gallery – The castle's role in Britain's coastal defences during the two world wars, and the local volunteer forces linked to it.

Opgericht

1969

Beheerder

Leisure & Culture Dundee

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

De toegang is gratis.

Entry to the museum and grounds is free; donations are welcome (Gift Aid can be added). Some events and workshops are ticketed.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Because the building is a historic fortress, access for visitors with limited mobility may be highly restricted. Visitor toilets are on the second floor. Dogs are not allowed in the grounds or the building, except guide dogs.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops

The museum runs free and ticketed events and workshops for families during the spring and summer, such as craft sessions. The Broughty Life Gallery follows a cartoon family through local history, and Castle Green Playground is next to the castle.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The castle is on the seafront beside Broughty Ferry harbour and Castle Green, about a 10-minute drive from Dundee city centre. The museum holds the Good Journey Mark for welcoming visitors who travel without a car.

Service & horeca

• Museumwinkel

Small museum shop on the second floor selling gifts, souvenirs and postcards. Binoculars can be borrowed at reception for the observation deck against a small deposit.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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