Building record MAB26247 - PITFODDEL'S CASTLE
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Summary
Remains of a possible motte and bailey castle, the bailey as covered with grassy mounds, the remains of a later stone castle of the Menzies family, which was built around the beginning of the 15th century and abandoned by 1622.
Protected Status/Designation
- Scheduled Monument 3744
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NJ 9103 0297 (71m by 33m) Centred at - Polygon: Known Site Extent |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NJ90SW |
| Authority | Aberdeenshire City |
| Civil Parish | Peterculter |
Type and Period (3)
Full Description
Remains of a possible motte and bailey castle, the bailey as covered with grassy mounds, the remains of a later stone castle of the Menzies family, which was built around the beginning of the 15th century and abandoned by 1622. The motte, also known as Castleheugh, is a natural mound (circa 40m by 25m with regularly scarped sides) topped by a slight, possibly artificial mound circa 1m high with a flat summit measuring 7m by 3m. Survey and recording carried out by CFA in 1992 observed that no trace of a bailey was evident, and may have been removed by landscaping around the motte. The 1st edition map shows the motte to have been much larger, almost twice as extensive as at present. The mound has been landscaped on several occasions: a terrace has been cut into it on the east, a track cuts into both north and south sides, and it has been dug into on the southwest for an extension to Norwood House Hotel. There is no trace of any earthwork castle on the mound: a small rectangular platform on the west may be a garden feature of the country house. If there was an earlier castle here it was probably built by the Murrays of Colbyn who obtained the barony of Pitfoddel de novo between 1389 and 1397. The barony passed to the Rede family in the 15th century and to the Menzies in the 16th century.
AAS/GR/76/CT2-6, 8-10, 13, AAS/GR/76/CT2-6, 8-10, 13 (Ground Photograph). SAB36665.
Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 13/01/1978 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.
Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 18/01/1978 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.
Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 24/01/1977 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.
Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 26/03/1976 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.
COUNCIL FOR SCOTTISH ARCHAEOLOGY, 1992, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND 1992, pp34-5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8247.
BOGDAN, N, 2008, EARLY CASTLES OF ABERDEENSHIRE (Bibliographic reference). SAB3811.
Author unknown, n.d., EVENING EXPRESS, 19/01/1978 (Bibliographic reference). SAB446.
Author unknown, n.d., EVENING EXPRESS, 25/03/1976 (Bibliographic reference). SAB446.
Other Statuses/References
- Authority: ACY;
- HES Scheduled Monument Number: 3744;
- NMR Card Number: NJ90SW1;
- NRHE Numlink: 20247;
- Old Historic Environment Record Ref: NJ90SW0001;
External Links (2)
- https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM3744 (Historic Environment Scotland Portal Link)
- https://www.trove.scot/place/20247 (trove.scot link)
Sources/Archives (9)
- --- SAB1416 Bibliographic reference: Author unknown. . PRESS & JOURNAL. 18/01/1978.
- --- SAB1416 Bibliographic reference: Author unknown. . PRESS & JOURNAL. 13/01/1978.
- --- SAB1416 Bibliographic reference: Author unknown. . PRESS & JOURNAL. 24/01/1977.
- --- SAB1416 Bibliographic reference: Author unknown. . PRESS & JOURNAL. 26/03/1976.
- --- SAB36665 Ground Photograph: AAS/GR/76/CT2-6, 8-10, 13. Colour Transparency. AAS/GR/76/CT2-6, 8-10, 13.
- --- SAB3811 Bibliographic reference: BOGDAN, N. 2008. EARLY CASTLES OF ABERDEENSHIRE.
- --- SAB446 Bibliographic reference: Author unknown. n.d.. EVENING EXPRESS. 19/01/1978.
- --- SAB446 Bibliographic reference: Author unknown. n.d.. EVENING EXPRESS. 25/03/1976.
- --- SAB8247 Bibliographic reference: COUNCIL FOR SCOTTISH ARCHAEOLOGY. 1992. DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND 1992. pp34-5.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
Record last edited
Feb 15 2024 8:31AM
