Building record MAB4281 - BLAIRFINDY CASTLE

Remains of castle.

Remains of castle. Blairfindy Castle is a 3-storey, L-plan tower house constructed of tooled rubble with ashlar dressings, and completed by John Gordon in 1564. It is now a ruin. The segmental headed first floor fireplace is still visible, as is the vaulted ground floor. There is a round-headed entrance in the ground floor northeast re-entrant angle, with box machicolation above and a shallow semi-circular stair tower corbelled out in angle. The 2-bay south elevation has a pair of first floor windows lighting the former hall, and two smaller windows in the second floor. There are various slit vents. There is a corbelled bartizan at the southeast angle, a wallhead stack in the centre south elevation and end stacks. It is roofless, though a few heavy local slates survive. The interior is gutted, but a segmental-headed first floor fireplace is visible. A datestone and shield coat of arms that is initialled 'IG' and 'HG' was added above the door in 1586, marking the passing of the castle to Earls of Huntly. From this period it was used as a hunting seat. In 1647, the 2nd Marquis of Huntly, who had been captured at Delnabo by Cromwellian soldiers, was incarcerated in the castle en-route to his execution in Edinburgh. A building survey was carried out by Alder Archaeology in June - July 2018. A watching brief was subsequently carried out in July 2018 during hand excavation of engineers' text pits at the castle in advance of consolidation works. Those against the south wall of the castle encountered a cobbled surface, thought to be 19th-20th century in date, and the floor of a lean-to structure. Stone roofing tiles which may have come from the castle roof were found over the cobbled surface. Further recording of the chimney heads and other features was carried out in May and August 2019. A watching brief in November 2019 during excavation of pits for lightening conductors recorded no archaeological features. Relocation of two tumbled stones was monitored in February 2021 but no archaeological features or artefacts were recorded.

Period Notes
Built in 1564, with a datestone from 1586 marking when it was passed to the Earls of Huntley. Works were carried out in 1905. It was designated in 22/02/1972.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 15/02/10 p.8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

MACGIBBON, D, 1892, THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND, 1-5, 82-4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1140.

CRUDEN, SH, 1960, THE SCOTTISH CASTLE , 151 (Bibliographic reference). SAB247.

MOW, 1961, A M'S SCOT, 13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1166.

PECK, EH, 1983, AVONSIDE EXPLORED: A GUIDE TO TOMINTOUL AND GLENLIVET, p.40 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1489.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2019, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 19, 2018, p. 142 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6524.

ALDER ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019, HISTORIC BUILDING RECORD, BLAIRFINDY CASTLE, GLENLIVET, SBS (Bibliographic reference). SAB7861.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2022, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 22 (2021), p.123 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8314.

Sep 5 1996 , AAS/GR/96/CT159-160, AAS/GR/96/CT159-160 (Ground Photograph). SAB32999.

Record last edited

Aug 2 2022 12:23PM