Aboyne Castle
Encyclopedia
Aboyne Castle is a 13th century castle
in Aberdeenshire
, Scotland
0.75 mi (1.2 km) north of the town of Aboyne
(Grid Reference NO5299). The location of Aboyne Castle was selected for its strategic position near the River Dee
and controlling the northern end of one of the Mounth
crossings. Aboyne Castle was formerly derelict
, but was restored by the present Marquess of Huntly
in 1979.
. Edward I
sent instructions for its fortification in 1307. It was later turned into a stone keep
. in 1671, the west wing was rebuilt as a tower house
by Charles, first Earl of Aboyne, parts of which are still visible. A mansion house
was added in 1701. An east wing was added in 1801. In 1869, kitchen improvements were made using granite and stepped gable
s. The Mansion House was updated in the 1880s by Sir Cunliffe Brooks by adding baronial-style ornamentation. George Truefitt did some restoration work in the later part of the 19th century. It was remodelled in 1986 by Ian Begg.
The structure is three-storey with basement and attic. The east elevation is symmetrical, while the north (entrance), south, and west are asymmetrical. A heraldic panel is located between the second and third windows of the north elevation, as is a decorative ironwork finial
and a weather-cock finial. There is a baronial tower house, an angled tower to the northwest, a four-storey basement, and an attic tower to the north. The oldest section of the castle is the northwest which incorporates a balustrade atop a five-storey circular tower that is corbel
led to square. This tower was replicated later at the northeast. The castle is harled and lime washed. Eaves are course, there are several turret
s, a possible secret passageway, and a monk's room.
There are a number of small-pane windows, as well as a grey slate roof with tiled ridge. A doorway to the principal floor is reached by stone steps, and a small-pane glazed timber door is located to the right of the basement. Immediately to the north of the castle, there is a harled wall with an enclosed courtyard.
, who had been alleged of the murder of Patrick
, Earl of Atholl
, at Haddington, East Lothian
, Aboyne Castle passed to the Knights Templars in that year. It passed next to the Frasers of Cowie
, before passing yet again, this time by marriage, to Sir William de Keith, Great Marischal of Scotland around 1355. In 1449, De Keith's great granddaughter, Joan, brought the castle by marriage to Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly
(1449). Its present owner is the Marquis of Huntly
whose family has owned it since the early 15th century.
.
On the Upper Dee, Aboyne Castle grounds are used as a fly fishing
fish beat. It is fished in agreement with Glen Tanar Estate (Craigendinnie Beat). Within the Aboyne Castle Policies, there is included an artificial, islet-studded Loch of Aboyne measuring 3 x 2 1/3 fur. The burn of Aboyne has kept its ancient name, Allach, only near the castle where the Allach Bridge was built over the burn.
, and an Ogham inscription.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
0.75 mi (1.2 km) north of the town of Aboyne
Aboyne
Aboyne is a village on the edge of the Highlands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the River Dee, approximately west of Aberdeen. It has a rugby club, which plays on The Green and also has a swimming pool, a golf course with 18 holes, all-weather tennis courts, and a bowling green...
(Grid Reference NO5299). The location of Aboyne Castle was selected for its strategic position near the River Dee
River Dee, Aberdeenshire
The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...
and controlling the northern end of one of the Mounth
Mounth
The Mounth is the range of hills on the southern edge of Strathdee in northeast Scotland. It was usually referred to with the article, i.e. "the Mounth". The name is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic monadh which in turn is akin to the Welsh mynydd, and may be of Pictish origin...
crossings. Aboyne Castle was formerly derelict
Derelict
Derelict or dereliction commonly refers to:* Abandonment of property, then referred to as a 'derelict'* Derelict , property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea by those who were in charge without any hope of recovering it...
, but was restored by the present Marquess of Huntly
Marquess of Huntly
Marquess of Huntly is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles, only the English marquessate of Winchester being older...
in 1979.
Architecture
The castle was constructed by Bysets, Lords of Strathdee and Aboyne before 1233 as a motte-and-baileyMotte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
. Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
sent instructions for its fortification in 1307. It was later turned into a stone keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
. in 1671, the west wing was rebuilt as a tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
by Charles, first Earl of Aboyne, parts of which are still visible. A mansion house
Mansion House
Mansion House may refer to:* the official residences of the Mayor or Lord Mayor of various towns and cities in Great Britain and Ireland:** Mansion House, Dublin** Mansion House, London***See also Mansion House tube station on the London Underground...
was added in 1701. An east wing was added in 1801. In 1869, kitchen improvements were made using granite and stepped gable
Crow-stepped gable
A Stepped gable, Crow-stepped gable, or Corbie step is a stair-step type of design at the top of the triangular gable-end of a building...
s. The Mansion House was updated in the 1880s by Sir Cunliffe Brooks by adding baronial-style ornamentation. George Truefitt did some restoration work in the later part of the 19th century. It was remodelled in 1986 by Ian Begg.
The structure is three-storey with basement and attic. The east elevation is symmetrical, while the north (entrance), south, and west are asymmetrical. A heraldic panel is located between the second and third windows of the north elevation, as is a decorative ironwork finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
and a weather-cock finial. There is a baronial tower house, an angled tower to the northwest, a four-storey basement, and an attic tower to the north. The oldest section of the castle is the northwest which incorporates a balustrade atop a five-storey circular tower that is corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
led to square. This tower was replicated later at the northeast. The castle is harled and lime washed. Eaves are course, there are several turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s, a possible secret passageway, and a monk's room.
There are a number of small-pane windows, as well as a grey slate roof with tiled ridge. A doorway to the principal floor is reached by stone steps, and a small-pane glazed timber door is located to the right of the basement. Immediately to the north of the castle, there is a harled wall with an enclosed courtyard.
Ownership
In 1242, after the expulsion from Scotland of John and Walter Byset of Clan BissettClan Bissett
Clan Bissett is a Scottish clan of Anglo-Norman origin. It does not have a clan chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, therefore the clan has no standing under Scots Law...
, who had been alleged of the murder of Patrick
Padraig, Earl of Atholl
Padraig or Patrick of Atholl was Mormaer of Atholl, from 1236/7 until 1241. The Chronicle of Melrose tells us that while he was lodging in Haddington, East Lothian, his enemies, "most wicked men," torched his lodging, killing both him and his two unknown companions...
, Earl of Atholl
Earl of Atholl
The Mormaer of Earl of Atholl refers to a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl , now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is reported from the Pictish period. The only other two Pictish kingdoms to be known from...
, at Haddington, East Lothian
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
, Aboyne Castle passed to the Knights Templars in that year. It passed next to the Frasers of Cowie
Cowie, Aberdeenshire
Cowie is an historic fishing village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This village has existed since the Middle Ages, but in current times it is effectively subsumed into the town of Stonehaven.-History:...
, before passing yet again, this time by marriage, to Sir William de Keith, Great Marischal of Scotland around 1355. In 1449, De Keith's great granddaughter, Joan, brought the castle by marriage to Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly
Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly
Alexander Seton , 1st Earl of Huntly was a powerful 15th century Scottish magnate. He was knighted in 1439/40 and was Lord of Badenoch, & Cluny....
(1449). Its present owner is the Marquis of Huntly
Marquess of Huntly
Marquess of Huntly is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles, only the English marquessate of Winchester being older...
whose family has owned it since the early 15th century.
Grounds
There is a large extent of planted policies on both sides of the River Dee, including ornamental plantations and the Loch of AboyneLoch of Aboyne
Loch of Aboyne is a freshwater loch in Scotland. An artificially-formed loch created within the policies of Aboyne Castle on Royal Deeside, the Loch of Aboyne lies 1¼ miles northeast of Aboyne and 26 miles west southwest of Aberdeen. Retained by an earthen dam constructed c.1834, this shallow...
.
On the Upper Dee, Aboyne Castle grounds are used as a fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
fish beat. It is fished in agreement with Glen Tanar Estate (Craigendinnie Beat). Within the Aboyne Castle Policies, there is included an artificial, islet-studded Loch of Aboyne measuring 3 x 2 1/3 fur. The burn of Aboyne has kept its ancient name, Allach, only near the castle where the Allach Bridge was built over the burn.
Relic
The Formaston Stone, a relic of historical importance, is preserved. Dating from between 800 and 1000, it has a mirror symbol, a decorated Celtic crossCeltic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
, and an Ogham inscription.