Balquhain Castle is a ruined tower house 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...

. It was the stronghold of the Leslies of Balquhain

Clan Leslie

Clan Leslie is a Lowland Scottish clan.-Origins:The family name comes from the Leslie lands of Aberdeenshire and was to become famous in Germany, Poland, France and Russia...

. The castle is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of Inverurie

Inverurie

Inverurie is a Royal Burgh and town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately north west of Aberdeen on the A96 road and is served by Inverurie railway station on the Aberdeen to Inverness Line...

, and is protected as a scheduled monument.

History

The castle was built in the 14th century and held by Leslie family from 1340. The castle was sacked during a feud with the Forbes family

Clan Forbes

Clan Forbes is a Lowland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Origins:Concerning the origin of this Scottish clan, John of Forbes, the first upon record, seems to have been a man of importance in the time of William the Lion, and was the father of Fergus, from whom the clan are descended....

 in 1526. The castle was rebuilt in 1530. Mary Queen of Scots in 1562 stayed at the castle prior to the Battle of Corrichie. It was burned by the forces of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland in 1746 and was abandoned.

The castle

The tower measures 13.75 by, and is surrounded by the remains of a barmkin

Barmkin

Barmkin, also spelled barmekin or barnekin, is a Scots word which refers to a form of medieval and later defensive enclosure, typically found around smaller castles, tower houses, pele towers, and bastle houses in Scotland, and the north of England. It has been suggested that etymologically the...

.

External links

• http://www.clanleslie.org/Castles4.html
• http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/19022/details/balquhain+castle/