Building record MAB34079 - KNOCK CASTLE

Remains of castle, comprising a ruined keep with a vaulted ground floor, which replaced an earlier castle.

Remains of castle, comprising a ruined keep with a vaulted ground floor, which replaced an earlier castle. The present structure was probably built circa 1600 or early in the 17th Century, replacing its predecessor which had been destroyed in 1590. Knock Castle strongly resembles a peel tower of the Borders. Built of rubble granite, squared for the dressings, with giant boulders anchoring the corner foundations. The foundations of the enclosing wall of the courtyard can still be traced. The cellar was lit by a single narrow loop on each side. It is entered at the south end of the west face by a low, straight-lintelled door, the only means of access to the interior of the tower. There are two rebates for an outer iron yett and a wooden door. Within this, on the right, a newel stair circles up in the southwest angle to the summit of the building, only the first few steps of which remain. The main hall was on the first floor with a large window in each face beneath which are three shot-holes. Two round turrets are corbelled out off the garret at the southeast and northeast corners. In addition a square chamber of a larger size was provided in a cape-house over the stair-head. A watching brief carried out by Kirkdale Archaeology in November 2011 during excavation of three small holes for permanent survey markers recorded no archaeological features or artefacts.

Period Notes
Earlier tower destroyed in 1590; later castle probably c.1600 or early 17th century. Listed 16/04/1971.

MACGIBBON, D, 1892, THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND, 1-5, 29-30 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1140.

McCONNACHIE, AL, 1898, THE ROYAL DEE, 92-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1136.

SIMPSON, WD, 1924, SNQ 3 SER,2,6(JUNE 1924) 25-8, 25-8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1646.

TRANTER, N, 1977, FORTIFIED HOUSE IN SCOT VOL 4, 60-1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1950.

GRAHAM, C, 1981, GRAMPIAN: THE CASTLE COUNTRY (2ND ED), 9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB598.

SCOTTISH MONUMENTS SURVEY, 1990, JAMES GILES - ABERDEENSHIRE CASTLES, p.16 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1738.

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

KIRKDALE ARCHAEOLOGY, 2011, KNOCK CASTLE: WATCHING BRIEF, NOVEMBER 2011. HISTORIC SCOTLAND PROPERTIES IN CARE MINOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORKS 2011, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB2780.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2013, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 13, 2012, p.20 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5487.

Aug 11 1984 , AAS/84/13/R39/14, AAS/84/13/R39/14 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15208.

Feb 10 2011 , AAS/2011/1/DG2987-99, AAS/2011/1/DG2987-99 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB20732.

Jan 1 1978 , AAS/GR/78/CT95,194, AAS/GR/78/CT95,194 (Ground Photograph). SAB32536.

Jul 13 1993 , AAS/93/11/G23/8-10, AAS/93/11/G23/8-10 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15209.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, GLENMUICK 14 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

LAING, A, n.d., CALEDONIAN ITINERARY, VOL 1, 95 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1098.

Oct 16 2002 , GR/02/CT410-3, GR/02/CT410-3 (Ground Photograph). SAB17910.

Sep 24 2008 , DG9859-903, DG9859-903 (Ground Photograph). SAB19876.

Record last edited

Jan 31 2024 3:57PM