Zamek Claypotts, Scottish guides, Historic Investigations
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Built in the late 16th
century,
Claypotts Castle
has survived almost intact,
with very few changes. It
is an ideal place to explore
castle life.
INVESTIGATING
CLAYPOTTS CASTLE
Information for Teachers
INVESTIGATING
HISTORIC SITES
CLAYPOTTS CASTLE
2
Timeline
Early 1500s
Lands of
Claypotts leased from
Lindores abbey by the
Strachan family
Claypotts Castle is a delight. Built
in the late sixteenth century, the
building has survived almost
intact, with very few changes. Its
domestic atmosphere makes it
an ideal place for pupils and their
teachers to explore castle life.
Unusually, some evidence survives
about the other inhabitants of the castle
at this time: the Strachans’ servants.
John Strachan’s will, dated 1594,
mentions three of the women servants
of the house, including Janet Wilkie who
had been with the family for at least
fourteen years. Four ploughmen and a
shepherd are also mentioned.
1569
John Strachan
begins work on
Claypotts Castle
Historical background
Today the castle of Claypotts sits
peacefully but incongruously in the
centre of a modern housing estate. Over
400 years ago, this land was owned by
Lindores Abbey, across the Tay in Fife
and was leased to the Strachan family.
1588
Building of
Claypotts Castle
inished
In 1601 the castle was sold to William
Graham of Ballunie. In 1620 his son
sold Claypotts to Sir William Graham of
Claverhouse. His great-grandson was to
achieve fame in 1689 as Stewart loyalist
‘Bonnie Dundee’ , when he was killed
at the battle of Killiecrankie. Though he
had never lived at the castle, following
this, his land including Claypotts was
coniscated by the Crown. The castle
then passed to the Marquis of Douglas
and was probably leased to tenants
from the early 17th century .
1593
John Strachan
dies
1601
Sir William
Graham buys Claypotts
from Strachans
Around 1569 John Strachan began
work on building a new home at
Claypotts. Although the core of his
home was a traditional stone tower,
it was made different by the addition
of round towers built at diagonally
opposite corners of this central block.
Claypotts Castle is today one of the
most complete examples of this ‘Z-plan’
tower house in Scotland.
1620
Claypotts sold to
Sir William Graham of
Claverhouse
1689
Castle and land
forfeit to the Crown
In the 19th century the castle passed
to the Home family, who still own
Claypotts today. It is now maintained
by Historic Scotland, and is one of
Scotland’s most complete sixteenth-
century fortiied homes.
1694
Claypotts and
other Claverhouse
lands granted to the
Douglas family
John Strachan had seven children. It is
unlikely that many of them lived in the
castle as children, however, because it
took nearly twenty years for the building
to be completed. The castle was inished
in 1588, and John Strachan enjoyed it
for just ive years before he died in 1593.
1800s
Castle and lands
pass to the Earl of
Home; lands leased to
tenants
1847
Castle occupied
by farm labourers
1926
Homes place
Claypotts under the
guardianship of the
state
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
CLAYPOTTS CASTLE
3
Before the visit:
Working on site
Supporting learning
and teaching
• Help pupils gain a clearer grasp of
the time scale by making a time
line with them, counting back the
centuries and then marking on key
events in the history of the castle
and the surrounding area. This could
be added to after the visit.
When exploring the castle, in addition
to our suggestions for discussion,
pupils should be encouraged to look
critically at what they see and to make
and test theories based on physical
evidence. Some general starting points
could include:
A visit to Claypotts Castle is
particularly appropriate for
teachers working on such
popular classroom study
topics as:
• Discuss with pupils the many
servants who would have worked
in the castle. Get the pupils to make
lists of all the jobs that would have
had to be done in a pre-machine
world. These lists can be added to
after the visit.
• What materials were used to build
the castle? Why were these materials
chosen? Are they any materials
which might have rotted away or
been stolen since then?
• Castle Life
• The Middle Ages
develop successful learners
by challenging pupils
to consider how life has
changed for people. It will
help them to think critically
about evidence and arrive at
their own conclusions.
• Do you think this room has always
looked like this? Can you see
anywhere it has been altered? Why
might it have been changed?
• Discuss with pupils all the different
activities which would have gone
on in a castle. Pupils could research
different topics (e.g. food, travel,
entertainment, weapons) to prepare
them for the visit.
develop conident
individuals.
Pupils wilI
learn about aspects of their
community’s past, develop
an understanding of social
changes, establish some
of their own values and
communicate their views
on different historical and
social issues.
• What evidence is there for everyday
life?
Pupils can record evidence by taking
notes, sketching, taking photographs,
recording impressions into a tape
recorder.
• It is helpful if pupils are familiar
with some of the the architectural
terminology of castles as this makes
discussing on site easier. Useful
words might include: chamber,
shield, coat of arms, great hall,
archway, gun loop, spiral stair, roof
beam. Pupils could produce a class
illustrated dictionary to explain
these terms
Suggestions for follow-up work
develop responsible
citizens
by helping to
encourage greater respect
for their own historic and
built environment.
Following the visit pupils can pool their
indings in groups to create a fuller
record of the castle and the lives of the
people who lived and worked there.
This could form the basis for a range of
presentation activities, for example:
develop effective
contributors
by broadening
pupils’ knowledge and
understanding through
investigative, creative and
critical thinking.
• Some children ind it hard to
imagine that a castle was ever
anything other than a ruin. Discuss
how buildings change with age –
does the house they live in look the
same now as it did a few years ago?
Has their family made any changes
to the house? If so, why? Discuss
how wind and weather can affect
the look of a building as well as the
deliberate changes that people
choose to make to buildings.
• A guide book or promotional lealet
for future visitors
• A slide show with commentary of
their visit
While most of the activities
would be suit suitable for
pupils in P4-7, the language
used in this pack is aimed
at lower to middle primary
groups (i.e. P2-P5).
• Imaginative writing based on the
lives of the inhabitants of the castle
• A series of drama sketches showing
different snapshots of life in the
castle through the ages
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
CLAYPOTTS CASTLE
4
Plan of Claypotts Castle
On the trail of the
Strachan family
There is much to explore
in this wonderful and
well-preserved building.
Our suggested tour route
focuses on everyday life in
the castle at the time of the
Strachans (c1570-1600). It
takes in eight key locations:
1. The Main Door
2. The Kitchen
3. A Bedchamber
4. The Hall
5. The Main Bedchamber
6. The Upper Hall
7. The Garret
8. Outside the Castle
It is not essential to view
these locations in this order.
Ideally, split your class into
groups of 8-10, to allow
maximum participation.
Background information
is given in the pack for each
location. It is written in
simple language so that it
can be read aloud to pupils
if desired. Also included are
suggested
questions for
discussion
.
Because the castle is so
well preserved, it lends
itself easily to
role play
,
particularly for younger
groups. Suggestions for role
play have been included in
a Let’s Pretend section for
each location, featured in
red.
One way to manage this type
of activiy is to give out the
roles, allow a few minutes
for practising and then on a
given signal allow the action
to take place for a minute or
two, until you give the signal
to stop.
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
CLAYPOTTS CASTLE
5
Did you know...
Tour notes: On the trail of the
Strachan family
The Strachans rented the
land of Claypotts from
the monks at Lindores
Abbey in Fife. Every year
they had to pay rent of
£11 16s 8d - plus twelve
cockerels!
Location 1: The Main Door
Background information for teachers. This can be read to pupils.
• Four hundred years ago, this castle was brand new. It was the home of the
Strachan family, where they lived with their servants.
• John Strachan started building this castle more than 400 years ago, in 1569. It
took him a long time to inish it – it wasn’t ready till 1588, nearly 20 years later!
• John Strachan and his wife, Eufame, had seven children – ive girls and two
boys. They were probably boys and girls when he started building, but by the
time it was inished, most of them were grown up and he had at least three
grandchildren.
• In the old days, the castle was surrounded by ields, where animals grazed and
where food was grown for the Strachans to sell. All around the castle there would
have been workshops, stables and other buildings for keeping animals.
Can you
see any ields today?
Teacher prompts
Desired pupil responses
The door
Look at the door. Does it look like your front
door? Why not?
Big iron hinges, huge keyhole,
shape, wooden planks., studded
with iron pins.
Why do you think it was built like this?
For strength.
Above it you can see a stone square. What
do you think this was?
Used to have the Strachan
family shield carved on to it – to
show you who lived here. Like a
name plate.
Today most visitors to the castle are friendly,
but John Strachan had to protect himself
and his family against thieves. What do you
think the hole on the right of the door was
used for?
A gunhole – for guards to shoot
through if they had to!
Look out for other gunholes around the
castle.
Let’s pretend...
that we have just arrived on our horses. Some people are the
guards, coming out to have a look and ask us our names, other people are servants
coming to take the horses. Maybe the Strachans will come out to greet us.
Enter the castle and turn right into the kitchen.
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
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