Building record MAB22830 - FEDDERATE CASTLE

Remains of a castle.

Remains of a castle. Fedderate Castle is an L-shaped tower-house probably dating to the 15th Century. Built by William de Craufurd/Crawford, who held the Barony of Fedderate from 1474 - 1519. The castle was formerly surrounded by a ditch and was reached by a causeway and drawbridge. Water was said to have been carried to the fosse by means of a pipe. There is now no trace of these. A stone was removed from the castle in circa 1830, now at Alehousehill, which was dated 1257, and is thought to have possibly come from an earlier castle on the site. Part of the castle was destroyed during a siege in 1690, and it is described as a ruin in 1732. In November 2010, a programme of geophysical surveys was carried by Blairgowrie Geoscience to see whether the moat and causeway could be located. These consisted of a trial magnetic gradiometer survey, a resistivity survey around the remains and a series of six electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles to study deeper resistivity variations. The only really obvious linear negative anomaly which might correspond to a significant ditch or moat seen is parallel to the northeast side of the castle. Whether it would be possible to have a water feature in this position extend around the castle is problematic. There are various other short 'channels' leading off or around the castle area but none of them shows much sign of being part of an organised defensive system. The most likely position for a causeway would seem to lie among the positive anomalies to the north and northwest of the castle. The remaining northwest castle wall looks as if the missing portion may have collapsed at a large orifice which may have been a gateway. The field surrounding the castle have significant amounts of scallop shells which may have originated from a midden at the castle.

Period Notes
From 1474; extended 1519; stone dated 1257 removed from the castle in 1831. Part of the castle destroyed 1690; described as a ruin in 1732.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 06/02/88 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

PRATT, J. B., 1858, BUCHAN: A TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION, 114-8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1410.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, (1871) 37 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

SCOTT, D, 1887, GRASS OF PARNASSUS FROM THE BENTS O’BUCHAN , 64, illus (Bibliographic reference). SAB1620.

MACGIBBON, D, 1892, THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND, 1-5, 137-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1140.

SCOTTISH MONUMENTS SURVEY, 1990, JAMES GILES - ABERDEENSHIRE CASTLES, p.10 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1738.

BOGDAN, N, 2008, EARLY CASTLES OF ABERDEENSHIRE (Bibliographic reference). SAB3811.

BLAIRGOWRIE GEOSCIENCE, 2010, GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS AT FEDDERATE CASTLE, ABERDEENSHIRE (Bibliographic reference). SAB3747.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2011, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 11, 2010, p.26 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5535.

Aug 2 1995 , AAS/GR/95/CT311-312, AAS/GR/95/CT311-312 (Ground Photograph). SAB32945.

Aug 8 1995 , AAS/95/07/CT1-2, AAS/95/07/CT1-2 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19652.

Aug 8 1995 , AAS/95/07/G17/10-15, AAS/95/07/G17/10-15 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16063.

Aug 8 1995 , AAS/95/07/G18/1-2, AAS/95/07/G18/1-2 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16064.

Jan 1 1995 , CNN 4, CNN 4 (Ground Photograph). SAB33919.

Jul 13 2015 , AAS-GR-15-07-434, AAS-GR-15-07-434 (Ground Photograph). SAB35767.

Jul 13 2015 , AAS-GR-15-07-471 - 473, AAS-GR-15-07-471 - 473 (Ground Photograph). SAB35814.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, NEW DEER 8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

Author unknown, n.d., LEOPARD MAGAZINE, 1978? p.23-24 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1074.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, No12(1840) 177-8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

Record last edited

Feb 1 2024 2:27PM