Gordon Castle

Gordon Castle was once the largest mansion in the north of Scotland, with a tower house at the centre that dated back to perhaps the 15th century. Built for the Gordon earls of Huntly, it was largely demolished in 1952, leaving only a slim tower from the old tower house, and some of the east wing. Parts of the Gordon estate are open to the public for a fee, and this is an ongoing process.

Anciently part of the lands of Enzie, the site and castle were originally known as the Bog of Gight, and were held by the Hay family until Enzie passed with marriage to the earl of Huntly. It is possible that a tower of the Hays was incorporated into the impressive tower house/palace that the Gordons erected. By the late 16th century the tower at the Bog was an impressive multi-block structure, and this was extended in the 17th century when the Marquis found himself confined to a small area due to his Catholic faith. Further extensions took place in the 18th century, but it was not until the Gordons had become dukes of Gordon that the renamed castle was entirely redesigned and became the immense structure that photographs survive of. In 1935 the Gordon estate was surrendered to the Crown in lieu of death duties, becoming the Fochabers Estate, but since then the Gordon-Lennox family have acquired the castle and parkland, and continue to work on improving the estate to this day.

Official Gordon Castle website

HES Canmore database entry