Blairfindy Castle

Blairfindy Castle is a recently restored tower house overlooking Glenlivet a short distance upstream of its junction with the River Avon. Although there may be remnants of an earlier tower within the lower masonry, the bulk of the tower is from the 16th century, when John Gordon of Cluny remodelled it before going bankrupt due to developing Cluny Castle itself.

The tower is of a fairly standard design internally, but with a number of curious variations including the support of the main stair on squinches, and the presence of stone-floored cupboards at all levels in the north gable of the hall. In addition there is an archaic faux box machicolation overlooking the doorway and the 1568 armorial panel of John Gordon and his wife.

Burned out by Cumberlands troops after the battle of Culloden, Blairfindy and the Glenlivet estate were given to the Crown in lieu of death duties by the then Duke of Gordon, and left to decay. After a campaign led by me to save the castle, it was recently stabilised by the Crown Estate with support by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and is now open to the public.

RCAHMS Canmore database entry

Moray SMR entry (held by Aberdeenshire Council)