Building record MAB36549 - HYND CASTLE

Remains of a castle of uncertain date.

Remains of a castle of uncertain date. Warden described the ruin in the late 19th century and recorded that the castle 'had at one time been surrounded by water and a morass' and was on an apparently artificial mound. It has been suggested that this mound is a crannog. When visited by the OS in 1958 the ruins of the small tower were 8.6m square, 4m high on the south, and 6m on the north, where the slope is much steeper. The walls of the tower were 2.4m thick, leaving a small internal compartment only 3.6m square. The walls attained a maximum height of 2.5m internally and 3.0m externally. Breaks in the centres of all walls except the west, are indicative of the narrowing openings of windows, or shot-holes but these features are too far destroyed to be identified as such. The opening on the west was probably the entrance. The OS decided that the mound was probably a natural knoll. The walls of the ruin are of coursed rubble and in crumbling condition. 4 metres east of the Castle were the foundations of a small rectilinear enclosure measuring 6 x 5m. The earth-covered walls appear to be only 1m wide and are only 0.3m high. This structure is possibly much later than the Castle, and is not defensive in character. An old stone wall - probably an old field bank - 1m wide x 0.3m high, runs over the knoll west of the ruin and seems to have no strategic value. A sandstone spindle-whorl, 3.1cm in diameter, is in Dundee Museum and is alleged to have come from Hynd Castle.

Warden, A J, 1880-5, [Untitled], Vol. 4, 426 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10143.

Coutts, H, 1971, [Untitled], 77, No. 169 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11605.

STRATIGOS, M J, 2013, THE CRANNOGS OF NORTHEAST SCOTLAND: QUANTIFYING THE RESOURCE. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON MA DISSERTATION, 75 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1743.

Record last edited

Jun 23 2021 4:53PM