Castle Roy

Highland, United Kingdom

Castle Roy is one of the oldest castles of its type in Scotland unique in that it is largely unaltered, whilst most other castles have been extensively modified over the centuries. The castle is thought to have been built at some point in the early 13th century, replacing an earlier wooden motte and bailey keep of Norman influenced design. In accordance with its early design it is one of Scotland’s simplest forts consisting of four curtain walls, about 7 ft. thick, forming a square. Presumably the walls defended a number of timber buildings which have since disappeared. One theory is that Castle Roy was built by James, son of the Earl of Mar, in 1226, after having receiving the title of Lord of Abernethy from King Alexander II. It may have become a residence of the powerful Comyn family, rivals of the famed King Robert the Bruce.

In 1548 the Castle was named in the Charter of the Earldom of Moray and therefore possibly it was still in use, although in the era of gunpowder will only have been of use as a fortified shelter.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

B970, Highland, United Kingdom
See all sites in Highland

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

nethybridge.com
www.scottishaccommodationindex.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Urquhart Castle (47,9 km)
Eilean Donan Castle (112,2 km)
Elgin Cathedral (46,3 km)
Cawdor Castle (32,1 km)
Dunrobin Castle (80,3 km)
Burghead Pictish Fort (48,2 km)
Balmoral Castle (36,5 km)
Glenfinnan Viaduct (116,6 km)
Clava Cairns (33,5 km)

User Reviews

John Whalen (12 months ago)
Spectacular old fortification. Maintained and looked after by a charitable Trust. Shame historic Scotland could not help more. Well worth a visit. If you have a camper van you can stay there the night.
Arron Lowder (DoubleJump) (12 months ago)
Lovely place to visit, you can have a guided tour of the castle or just stop and meet Murdo the cow!
Emma (12 months ago)
Lovely big highland cow & we was luckily enough to meet his owner !! Wonderful lady - would recommend a visit
Amy Burcher (13 months ago)
Wonderful little tour and beautiful views. Plus Murdo who charmed us completely!!
Maddy Staple (14 months ago)
Very sweet castle, felt like a very genuine piece of history. We visited around sunset and the views were beautiful! And bonus points for Murdo of course.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright Makser

Historic Site of the week

Derbent Fortress

Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the Eurasian steppes to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BCE. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly among the Persian, Arab, Mongol, Timurid, Shirvan and Iranian kingdoms.

Derbent has archaeological structures over 5,000 years old. As a result of this geographic peculiarity, the city developed between two walls, stretching from the mountains to the sea. These fortifications were continuously employed for a millennium and a half, longer than any other extant fortress in the world.

A traditionally and historically Iranian city, the first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BC. The site was intermittently controlled by the Persian monarchs, starting from the 6th century BC. Until the 4th century AD, it was part of Caucasian Albania which was a satrap of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In the 5th century Derbent functioned as a border fortress and the seat of Sassanid Persians. Because of its strategic position on the northern branch of the Silk Route, the fortress was contested by the Khazars in the course of the Khazar-Arab Wars. In 654, Derbent was captured by the Arabs.

The Sassanid fortress does not exist any more, as the famous Derbent fortress as it stands today was built from the 12th century onward. Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus.

The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century. Today the fortifications consist of two parallel defence walls and Naryn-Kala Citadel. The walls are 3.6km long, stretching from the sea up to the mountains. They were built from stone and had 73 defence towers. 9 out of the 14 original gates remain.

In Naryn-Kala Citadel most of the old buildings, including a palace and a church, are now in ruins. It also holds baths and one of the oldest mosques in the former USSR.

In 2003, UNESCO included the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings in the World Heritage List.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2020 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.