Affleck Castle, also known as Auchenleck Castle, is a tall L-plan tower house dating from the 15th century, north of Monifieth and west of Monikie Parish Church, Angus, Scotland.[1] [2] It is a scheduled monument.It is not open to the public.
The castle was built on the lands of the Auchenlecks of that Ilk[2] held since 1471.[3] From the mid-17th century it belonged to a family of Reids,[2] who forfeited the castle in 1746 because of their activities as Jacobites.[4] It has not been occupied since 1760, when a new mansion was built.[2]
Affleck Castle is a well-preserved free-standing rectangular tower of four storeys and a parapeted garret.[4] It is tall, and has thick rubble walls, with several mural rooms.[2] A few steps down from the entrance is the basement, which is sub-divided.[2]
The hall, which is on the first floor, has a vaulted ceiling; this supports a withdrawing room.[2] Above the main staircase is an entresol bedroom, almost square, reached by an eleven-step staircase in the east wall. The stairs lead from the hall.[2] The withdrawing room has a spy-hole into the hall below.[2] This would have allowed all movement to the main turnpike stair to be observed.[2] The room has window seats, wall closets, and a shafted fireplace.[2] A step up from this room leads to a circular oratory, equipped with aumbry, piscine, holy-water stoup and stone candle-holders.[2] This room is also vaulted.[2] There is a bedroom in each of the upper floors.[2]
A projection by the door, with a square cap-house, houses the stair,[2] and there is a square turret over the south-west angle.[2] There are two devices for dropping missiles or liquids on attackers: one over the arched door; and the other on the west front,[2] while the ground floor is equipped with gun loops.[1]