Ruins of an 11th Century Castle in Perthshire

Located in Perthshire, Scotland, Whitefield Castle was first built in the 1100s and further expanded in the 1500s. Said to have originally been a hunting lodge, the castle is in a heavily ruined state, but with some fantastic stone work and features still on display.

The walk to the castle is entirely uphill, over uneven ground, but the views made up for toil, and we were rewarded with some beautiful views and examples of Perthshire drystone, as we made our way through the fields.

Despite having panoramic views of the Perthshire countryside, Whitefield Castle itself manages to remain out of sight until you are very close, and it announces itself by appearing in the near distance as an unassuming, small stone building.

Up close, much of the external stone work is still in great condition with so many details still visible. Within the stone walls, you can still see arrow slits and gun loops, as well as various other carved stone features.

Once we had found the entrance to the castle, we made our way inside surprised to see a still-standing staircase. Climbing the stairs revealed an intricate, well-preserved vaulted ceiling, easily some of the most impressive stonework I have ever seen in a ruin in Scotland. It's hard to believe that structures like this are sitting, relatively unknown, in Scotland's landscapes. Craftsmanship like this should be preserved, but in the case of Whitefield Castle, it would appear that one day all this incredibly skilled work, and this link to our past, will be lost.