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Overview
Cortachy, a barony and early castle site in Angus, entered the orbit of the Black Douglases through the inheritance of Joanna de Moravia, heiress of Strathearn, Bothwell, and Drumsagard. Although the Douglases never held Cortachy Castle as a principal seat, their authority over the barony during the mid‑14th century forms an important part of the territorial consolidation achieved through Joanna’s marriage to Archibald the Grim, 3rd Earl of Douglas.
Origins of the Barony
The lands of Cortachy belonged to the Earls of Strathearn, one of the oldest comital houses in Scotland.
A stone castle existed by c.1330, forming part of the Strathearn patrimony inherited by Maurice de Moravia, Earl of Strathearn, and subsequently by his only child, Joanna de Moravia, upon his death at Neville’s Cross (1346).
Through Joanna, Cortachy became one of several Angus-Perthshire estates linked to the Moray–Strathearn line.
Joanna de Moravia and Douglas Control
Following the death of her first husband, Sir Thomas de Moray of Bothwell, Joanna exercised independent feudal authority over her inheritance.
Among her earliest surviving acts is a charter granting lands in Cortachy to her uncle Walter de Moravia, confirmed by her mother Joan Menteith as superior. This charter demonstrates Joanna’s active control of Cortachy prior to her Douglas marriage.
In 1362, Joanna married Archibald Douglas, later known as the Grim.
Through this union, the extensive Moray–Strathearn estates—including Cortachy—passed de jure uxoris into Douglas hands. The Douglases thus held:
- Feudal superiority over Cortachy
- Rights of tenure, revenue, and wardship
- Authority to appoint local officers and tenants
Cortachy formed part of the territorial network supporting Douglas power in the central and eastern Lowlands during the later 14th century.
Nature of Douglas Possession
The Douglas connection to Cortachy was administrative and feudal, not residential.
There is no evidence of Douglas building works or occupation at Cortachy Castle.
Instead, Cortachy functioned as one of several Moray-Strathearn baronies underpinning the wealth and influence of Archibald the Grim and his heirs.
Douglas control persisted into the early 15th century, gradually diminishing as the Moray inheritance fragmented and political pressures mounted against the Black Douglas hegemony.
End of Douglas Influence
By the mid‑15th century, Cortachy had passed out of Douglas hands.
In 1473, James III granted the barony and castle to Sir Walter Ogilvy, marking the beginning of the long Ogilvy/Airlie association that continues to the present day.
This royal grant represents the final severing of any Douglas claim to Cortachy.
See also:
• Cortachy Castle
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