Building record MAB36769 - BALGAVIES CASTLE

Remains of a castle.

Remains of a castle. It was razed to the foundations by James VI during his journey to the north after the defeat of Argyll in 1593. The antiquarian Warden describes it as formerly moated and with 'the foundations and some arches' surviving. The NSA also mentions a 'solitary arch'. When visited by the OS in 1958, no arches were recorded. The remains are situated on a natural knoll, and are thickly overgrown with vegetation. No moat was noted in 1958 but the investigators concluded that is not unlikely that this site was ditched around the base of the knoll. The remains consist of two barrel vaults lying east-west and forming a whole rectangular area of 8 x 6 m, each being 4 m wide and 2.5 m high. A small rectilinear window exists in the north wall of the west vault showing the walls to be 1.3 m thick. The floors of the vaults are sunk 0.8 m below the outer ground level. The vaults, in crumbling condition, are of coursed rubble construction. The course of a wall was faintly traced among the undergrowth parallel to, and 1.5 m distant from, the south front of the vaults. It was again noted on the west side of the vaults 3 m from them. A fragment of a curving wall was noted circa 12 m southwest of the vaults and may possibly be the foundation of a round tower.

, (Photograph). SAB27360.

NSA, 1845, [Untitled], Vol. 11, (Forfar), 628 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6280.

Warden, A J, 1880-5, [Untitled], Vol. 2, 311 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10161.

RCAHMS, 1978, [Untitled], 30, No. 250 (Bibliographic reference). SAB7516.

Record last edited

May 28 2021 11:35AM