Huntly Castle

Huntly Castle Details

Huntly Castle, seat of the Gordons Earls of Huntly. C13 earthwork castle, C15 tower, and grand C16 tower house, all ruined.

  • Closest To: Huntly
  • Access: Chargeable Public Access
  • Grid Reference: NJ532407

Huntly Castle is an impressive tower house/palace block dating from the 16th century with additional buildings from the 15th to the 17th, and a motte surviving from the earliest phase of occupation. It is managed by Historic Environment Scotland, and open to the public for a fee.

The Lordship of Strathbogie was created in the 12th century as part of the political resettlement of the north of Scotland after a period of civil war. The beneficiary was the Earl of Fife, closely related to the kings of Scots, and remained with their descendants until the early 14th century when the Strathbogie earls of Atholl were forfeited for opposition to Robert Bruce. Granted to the Gordon family from the Borders, a massive tower house was built that was destroyed during another civil war. this time between the crown and the Douglas family. A new style building was erected by 1506 by the Gordon earls of Huntly and formed the main stronghold of the family through to the mid 17th century, with very high quality heraldic masonry and carving. By the end of the 17th century the family had relocated to the castle at Bog of Gight, and Huntly was allowed to fall into ruin. It was then used as a quarry to build the nearby Castle Hotel. The major part of the palace survives, the hall block and great drum tower, as well as ruins of the domestic ranges around the courtyard, and it is well worth the visit.

Official Historic Scotland page

HES Canmore database entry

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