Earlier Houses: The current house sits on the site of a medieval building, probably a fortress, owned by the kings of Scotland. In 1303 this building famously held out against an English army headed by Edward I ("Hammer of the Scots") for 20 days.

House & Family History: The seat of Clan Ramsay, of which the Earl of Dalhousie is head, was moved from Dalhousie Castle to Brechin Castle in the early 20th century. In 2019 the 17th Earl of Dalhousie listed the house, together with 70 acres, for sale for £3 million. When asked about the sale, the earl said that the upkeep of the historic house was becoming too expensive for his family to maintain.

Collections: The famous painting of the 14th Earl of Dalhousie by John Singer Sargent (see "Images" section) was tentatively sold for £7.6 million in 2021 to an overseas buyer; the painting had a temporary export ban (until March 3, 2022) placed on it in November of 2021 to allow British arts institutions to raise the money to keep it in the country.

Garden & Outbuildings: The Brechin Estate today comprises 55,000 acres.

House Listed: Category A

Park Listed: Listed as a Garden & Designed Landscape

Past Seat / Home of: Simon de Ramsay, 12th century; Sir Alexander Ramsay, 14th century; Sir George Ramsay, Lord Ramsay of Melrose, 17th century. James Maule, 4th Earl of Panmure, early 18th century. James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie and 10th Earl of Dalhousie, until 1860; Fox Maule-Ramsay, 11th Earl of Dalhousie, 1860-74; George Ramsay, 12th Earl of Dalhousie, 1874-80; John William Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie, 1880-87; Arthur George Maule Ramsay, 14th Earl of Dalhousie, 1887-1928; John Gilbert Ramsay, 15th Earl of Dalhousie, 1928-50; Simon Ramsay, 16th Earl of Dalhousie, 1950-99; James Hubert Ramsay, 17th Earl of Dalhousie, 1999-2022; Maule-Ramsay family here from the 12th century until 2022.

Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

House Open to Public: No

Historic Houses Member: No