On the death in 1668 of John Scrimgeour, 13th Constable, and first Earl of Dundee, King Charles II ignored the existence of the rightful heir, John Scrimgeour of Kirkton, and granted Dudhope Castle and the office of Constable to Charles Maitland, a younger brother of the Earl of Lauderdale.
Later, when in financial difficulty, Maitland sold Dudhope Castle in 1684 to John Graham of Claverhouse, better known as "Bonnie Dundee". It was from Dudhope Castle that he departed for Killiecrankie in 1689; the victory which resulted in his death. In 1694, the King then granted Dudhope Castle to Archibald Douglas. The Douglas family were the last family of occupants of the castle as this continued until about 1790.
The office of Constable and occupancy of Dudhope Castle was held by four different families, of which the Scrymgeours held the post for some 370 years.
In 1792 the castle was rented in an attempt to use it as a woollen factory, although the plan never came to fruition. In 1795 the park and the grounds were leased to the Board of Ordnance, who used Dudhope as a barracks for 95 years, from 1796 to 1879. Additional buildings were constructed, including a hospital, officers’ quarters, stables and guard-rooms. The castle building itself was used as accommodation for 400 soldiers. The Board of Ordnance finally abandoned the castle in 1881.
In 1854 the town council of Dundee acquired a sub-lease on the castle grounds, for use as recreational facilities. The lease ran for 35½ years for an annual rent of £25 until 1 November 1890. At this time the Earl of Home had intended to develop the grounds into terraced housing.
Instead the council acquired the grounds for £31,700, raising £20,000 itself and the remaining being raised from generous citizens by Lord Provost Mathewson. The grounds were opened as a park on 28 September 1895 by Sir James Low.
The castle was later occupied by the Ministry of Works and was used as a military barracks during both the 1914–18 war and the 1939–45 war. It then passed to the corporation of Dundee who attempted to demolish the castle in 1958. In the years 1985 to 1988 the castle was redeveloped and is now used as offices by Dundee City Council.
The final is at N56 27.ABC W2 5W.XYZ
At the starting co-ordinates you should see a plaque on the wall to the left of the castle entrance.
A = the last digit on the inscription.
Turn round and look at the gates to the garden in front of the castle.
B = the number of thistles on both gates. Count the thistles on ONLY this SET of gates.
Go into the gardens and find the bench with the engraved plaque.
C = the month in which this lady died.
Go to the water fountain at N 56° 27.921 W 002° 59.279
W = the number of letters in the name of the town in which the fountain was made -1.
Go to N56 27.871 W2 59.311, close to the gates at St Mary’s Place. Look at the noticeboard nearby.
Y = number of legs x 2, plus the number of panels
Turn around and face north.
Z = 6 if the monument on the skyline is of Bonnie Dundee
Z =7 if the monument on the skyline is Dundee War Memorial
Go to N56 27.832 W2 59.187
This is an old tool box. Back in the days when the park had gardeners and the slope below it was tended and planted with bonnie flowers, it was used by the park gardeners for leaving their gardening tools in, to save them from having to take them home at night.
X = the number of lids on the box.
You should now have the final co-ords which are a short stretch from here.