Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom
Kilcoy Castle
Kilcoy Castle was built around 1580 by the Stewart family, and completed by Alexander Mackenzie, third son of Colin Cam Mackenzie of Kintail around 1618. As a result of his marriage (contract 15 August 1611) to the widow of Sir James Stewart of Kilcoy, he had a charter of the lands of Kilcoy dated 18 July 1616 and a further charter of the Barony of Kilcoy dated 29 January 1618. The estates passed through the male line of ...
Founded: 1580 |
Location:
Tore, United Kingdom
Birse Castle
Birse Castle is located in the Forest of Birse, Aberdeenshire. The original structure was a square three-storey tower house with turrets and a corbelled circular tower at the south east. The building is owned by Viscount Cowdry, Dunecht House, Dunecht, Aberdeen. The castle was built about 1600 for the Gordons of Cluny. When the Gordons built Birse Castle, they encroached upon The Forest of Birse, which consisted of about ...
Founded: 1600 |
Location:
Forest of Birse, United Kingdom
Cairnbulg Castle
Cairnbulg Castle is a z-plan castle situated in Cairnbulg, Aberdeenshire. Originally known as Philorth Castle, it was built in the early 14th century, destroyed in the winter of 1308–1309 in the Wars of Independence, and re-built by the Fraser family in 1380. Subsequently, a courtyard and outbuildings were added to the main tower. It is now open to the public by appointment only. Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun ...
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Cairnbulg, United Kingdom
Cluny Castle
Cluny Castle was originally built c.1604 by Sir Thomas Gordon as a Z-plan castle replacing either a house or small peel tower. Owned by three separate branches of Gordon families over the centuries, it was used to shelter Jacobite rebels in the mid-18th century. Extensive additions were made in 1820 to the design of architect John Smith when it was in the ownership of Colonel John Gordon. Two wings of the castl ...
Founded: 1604 |
Location:
Cluny, United Kingdom
Hatton Castle
Hatton Castle, formerly known as Balquholly Castle, origins from the early 1500s. Purchased by Alexander Duff of Hatton in 1709, the ownership has remained with members of the family into the 21st century. Construction of the present castellated mansion began in 1812 and was completed by 1814; it was at this time the name was changed to Hatton Castle. It has a round tower at each corner and incorporates sections of th ...
Founded: 1812-1814 |
Location:
Turriff, United Kingdom
Kinnairdy Castle
Kinnairdy Castle is built on land that belonged to the Innes family from the late 14th century; an earlier tower was probably built in about 1420, that replaced a wooden motte and bailey structure. The castle was sold by the Innes family to Sir James Crichton of Frendraught in 1629. Subsequently it came to the Reverend John Gregory in 1647, then passed to his brother David, a doctor who has been claimed to be const ...
Founded: 1420 |
Location:
Aberchirder, United Kingdom
Lauriston Castle
Once a royal fortress, Lauriston Castle can claim to be one of the oldest privately owned and inhabited castles in the region. By tradition, it was the stronghold of Giric, or Gregory the Great, one of the last of the Pictish kings (AD 878–889). The site of his church of Ecclesgreig is nearby and he gave his Latin name, Ciricius, to St. Cyrus. Lauriston’s first charter is dated 1243 and it soon developed into a c ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
St Cyrus, United Kingdom
Pittulie Castle
Pittulie Castle is an oblong tower house probably dating from the late 16th century. The present castle probably replaced a previous castle on the site. It is thought that the castle was built for the marriage of Alexander Fraser and Margaret Abernethy of Saltoun in 1596. The Cumines acquired and enlarged the property. It was purchased by Sir William Forbes towards the end of the 18th century, but subsequently aban ...
Founded: 1596 |
Location:
Rosehearty, United Kingdom
Ardgowan Castle
Ardgowan Castle is located in the grounds of Ardgowan House near Inverkip. In 1306, Inverkip was besieged by supporters of Robert Bruce, led by Robert Boyd of Cunningham. In 1403, King Robert III granted the lands of Ardgowan to his natural son, Sir John Stewart. The castle is dated to the late 15th century. In 1667 Archibald Stewart was created a baronet. The 3rd baronet married, in 1730, Helen Houston, heiress ...
Founded: 15th century |
Location:
Inverkip, United Kingdom
Kirkistown Castle
Kirkistown Castle is an impressive three-storey tower house, built in 1622 by Roland Savage, a Norman landlord, at the site of a ninth-century round tower. It was occupied until 1731, when it was deserted. It post-dates the Plantation, but is fully in the late medieval tower-house tradition. Parts of the bawn wall survive with three-quarter round flanker towers at the angles. The tower was remodelled in Gothic style i ...
Founded: 1622 |
Location:
Cloghy, United Kingdom
Ballumbie Castle
Ballumbie Castle was built by the Lovell family in the 14th-16th centuries. The castle comprised a rectangular enclosure, approximately 21 metres on a side, with round corner towers, overlooking the Fithie Burn. In the early 17th century it passed to the Maule family, who became Earls of Panmure in 1646. The castle was reported as being ruined by 1682, although the remaining east and south walls were later incorporated i ...
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Dundee, United Kingdom
Braikie Castle
A heraldic panel over the door of Braikie Castle is dated 1581 and the castle dates from at least this date. It was built for Thomas Fraser of Kinnell the alleged son of the 4th Lord Lovat (as he does not appear in genealogies if true he is an illegitimate son) and is a good example of a fortified laird"s house of this period. The date 1581 forms part of a marriage lintel that combines the armorial crests of the Fras ...
Founded: 16th century |
Location:
Arbroath, United Kingdom
Hatton Castle
Hatton Castle stands on the lower part of Hatton Hill, to the south of Newtyle. The lands were given to Sir William Olifard (8th chief) in 1317 by Robert the Bruce. The castle was built in 1575, commissioned by Laurence, fourth Lord Oliphant (1527–1593). Hatton Castle is unusual in that it contains a scale and platt staircase incorporated into its original construction. Such a feature was normally only included in larg ...
Founded: 1575 |
Location:
Newtyle, United Kingdom
Inverquharity Castle
Inverquharity Castle is a 15th-century tower house in Angus, Scotland. It lies around 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) north-east of Kirriemuir near the River South Esk. The lands of Inverquharity came to the Ogilvie family around 1420. The castle was first constructed as a rectangular tower in the 1440s, by Alexander Ogilvie, 2nd Lord Inverquharity. In the 16th century a wing was added to form a four-storey L-plan cas ...
Founded: 15th century |
Location:
Kirriemuir, United Kingdom
Melgund Castle
Melgund Castle, lying around two kilometres due east of Aberlemno, is a 16th-century L-plan castle which has been partially restored as a private residence. The land was initially held by the Cramonds, but it passed to the Clan Bethune or Beaton. castle has been said to have been built in 1543 on the orders of Cardinal David Beaton, Archbishop of St Andrews and Chancellor of Scotland, as a home for himself and his mistre ...
Founded: 16th century |
Location:
Aberlemno, United Kingdom
Gardyne Castle
Gardyne Castle was built by the Gardyne family, and an inscribed stone records the date 1568. The date stone also bears the arms of King James VI and the motto 'God save the King'. Together with the distinctive style of some of the architectural features, such as the conical-roofed bartizans, this suggests an attempt to link the building with Royal Stewart architecture, and with the new king, as opposed to his p ...
Founded: 1568 |
Location:
Friockheim, United Kingdom
Fordell Castle
Fordell Castle is a restored 16th-century tower house. The earliest charter in the Henderson of Fordell papers dates from 1217. It is not known when the original castle structure was constructed, but the main entrance tower is believed to date from the 1400s. James Henderson, 3rd of Fordell, started to extend the castle in 1566. In 1568 the castle was damaged by fire, then rebuilt. Evidence of the fire can be seen to the ...
Founded: 15th century |
Location:
Dunfermline, United Kingdom
Pittarthie Castle
Pittarthie Castle was a laird’s fortified house in Fife. The present house was built for James Monypenny of Pitmilly c. 1580. There are substantial remains of the hilltop house, which is built in an 'L' plan with the jamb, its northwest corner bowed, attached to the southwest of the main block, and a stair tower in the inner angle. The stonework is good quality rubble with ashlar dressings. but much coarser ma ...
Founded: 1580 |
Location:
Dunino, United Kingdom
Plean Castle
Plean Tower comprises a small oblong tower house probably dating from the 15th century, and an adjoining 16th-century manor house. Robert Bruce granted the barony of Plean, or Plane, to John d’Erth soon after 1314. The castle was probably built by Lord Somerville, who acquired the lands of Plean in 1449, through marriage. An adjoining manor house was built in about 1528. In 1643 James Somervell, 8th Lord of Plane, sol ...
Founded: 15th century |
Location:
Stirling, United Kingdom
Arnot Tower
Arnot Tower is a ruined 16th-century castle. The current building dates from c. 1507, though fortifications were present c. 1400. The castle has four storeys and a vaulted basement. It was built by the Arnot family who have records dating back to 1105. David Arnot of Fyfe was one of 2000 noble landowners required to swear allegiance to King Edward I of England in 1296. Nicol Arnot Arnot was a loyal supporter of King Robe ...
Founded: c. 1507 |
Location:
Scotlandwell, United Kingdom