- Type
- Ruin
- Built
- 15th century
- Location
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 57.4549°, -2.7812°
History
The first timber castle on a motte, the Peel of Strathbogie, was built in the late 12th century by the Earls of Fife. Around 1314 Robert the Bruce took the estate from its owners, who had gone over to the English, and granted it to the loyal Sir Adam Gordon; from 1506 the Gordon seat was known as Huntly Castle. In the 15th and 16th centuries the earls built a grand residence here, visited by James IV and Mary of Guise, and in 1562, after the 4th Earl's revolt, the castle was taken by the forces of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1594, following a rising of the Catholic lords, James VI had the old tower blown up, but the 1st Marquess of Huntly soon rebuilt the palace and gave it a new façade around 1602. The castle changed hands during the Civil War, decayed from the 18th century and was used as a quarry, and after the Gordons' ownership ended in 1923 it passed into state care.
What to see
The ruins are looked after by Historic Environment Scotland, and the site sometimes closes temporarily, so check the current notice. The highlight is the South Front of around 1602, with the names of the marquess and marchioness carved in stone friezes of inscriptions and elaborate heraldic carving. Inside the palace, the lodgings of the marquess and marchioness keep their heraldic fireplaces, and the mound of the original castle can be seen nearby.
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