Building record MAB4958 - DUFFUS CASTLE

Remains of a 12th Century motte and bailey castle, abandoned early in the 18th Century, passing into State care in 1926.

Remains of a 12th Century motte and bailey castle, abandoned early in the 18th Century, passing into State care in 1926. Duffus Castle is a particularly fine example of a motte and bailey castle, with one of the finest stone keeps in Scotland. Originally a timber and earth castle stood atop the entirely man-made motte, with a timber palisaded bailey, built circa 1150 by Freskin, Lord of Strathbrock, a Flemish soldier. In the bailey, a variety of buildings would have existed including ancillary halls, lodgings and service offices, such as the brewhouse, bakehouse, stables, workshops, and perhaps a chapel. It is recorded that King David I stayed here when inspecting the building work at his new foundation, Kinloss Abbey, in 1151. Freskin's son, William, assumed the name 'de Moravia' ('of Moray'), and by the early 13th Century the family had become one of the most influential in northern Scotland. The castle passed into the Cheyne family, through marriage, in the late 13th Century, who were supporters of the English King. The timber castle was burnt down by the Scots in circa 1297, but was rebuilt, in stone, probably in the early 14th century. The only evidence of rebuilding is from a reference in 1305 recording a grant to Reginald Cheyne for 200 oaks from Darnaway forest 'to build his manor of Dufhous'. The heavy, square, stone keep was built atop the original motte, intended to support a much lighter timber structure, resulting in the collapse of the northeast corner. The castle still stands three storeys high, with slit windows, but is roofless. A series of passages survive within the walls. The bailey is approximately oval with a stone curtain wall. Following the death of the last Cheyne, Lord of Duffus, in circa 1350, the castle passed to the Sutherlands, through marriage. Within the bailey are the remains of a 15th Century domestic range, including a hall, cellars, and an oven of clay and stone, which replaced the abandoned tower and may itself have been greatly remodelled by the late 17th Century. The fosse itself encloses approximately 8 acres and is crossed by a stone causeway which still survives today. Small scale excavations were carried out in 1984 and 1985 in the north-east corner of the bailey, before and after emergency works to stabilize a leaning portion of curtain wall. The excavations produced clear evidence for a primary occupation in the 12th century, and for a substantial masonry-building phase in the 14th and 15th centuries. A watching brief in 2007 during remedial work near the moat north and south of the castle revealed that the original profile of the moat was a steeper, more V shaped cut. No other features or finds of archaeological significance were observed. Archaeological watching brief by Kirkdale Archaeology January 2007 during two stages of remedial work in areas where drainage and erosional problems had been identified. An archaeological watching brief was maintained by Kirkdale Archaeology in October 2014 during the excavation of two test trenches ahead of proposed pinning works to stabilise the motte. Most of the material removed was imported soil from landscaping in the 1920s and remedial work in 2001. No features or artefacts of archaeological significance were uncovered. Building and materials analysis was carried out by University of Stirling in 2018 as part of the Scottish Medieval Castles and Chapels C14 Project. Constructional mortar was sampled to assess its archaeological and palaeoenvironmental potential.

Period Notes
Built c.1150; burnt 1297; stone keep with bailey built c.1305 to replace timber structure; sacked and subsequent alterations and additions 1452; abandoned late 17thC;

MO 1155, MO 1155 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30316.

MACGIBBON, D, 1892, THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND, 1-5, 279-80 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1140.

SIMPSON, WD, 1951, DUFFUS CASTLE & CHURCH (Bibliographic reference). SAB1683.

SIMPSON, WD, 1959, PSAS 92(1958-9) 10-14, 10-14 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1688.

CRUDEN, SH, 1960, THE SCOTTISH CASTLE , 125-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB247.

MOW, 1961, A M'S SCOT, 28 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1166.

CANNEL & TABRAHAM, J & C, 1994, PSAS, 124, PSAS 124, pp.379-90 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3879.

SHEPHERD, I, 1996, ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED), p.108-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4829.

KIRKDALE ARCHAEOLOGY, 2007, DUFFUS CASTLE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONITORING, JANUARY 2007, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB1045.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2008, DISCOVERY & EXCAVATION SCOTLAND, p.132 (S Hogg) (Bibliographic reference). SAB4029.

DRANSART, P, 2008, PROSPECT AND EXCAVATION OF MOATED SITES, p.118-119, 124-125 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4035.

KIRKDALE ARCHAEOLOGY, 2014, DUFFUS CASTLE EXCAVATION, OCTOBER 2014: HISTORIC SCOTLAND PROPERTIES IN CARE MINOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORKS 2014 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2774.

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

Aug 4 2015 , AAS-GR-15-08-226 - 262, AAS-GR-15-08-226 - 262 (Ground Photograph). SAB30917.

Aug 15 2015 , AAS-GR-15-08-481 - 487, AAS-GR-15-08-481 - 487 (Ground Photograph). SAB35405.

Aug 27 2004 , AAS-GR-19-11-001 to 097, AAS-GR-19-11-001 to 097 (Ground Photograph). SAB34803.

Jan 1 1990 , AAS/GR/90/CT231-234, AAS/GR/90/CT231-234 (Ground Photograph). SAB32794.

Jul 2 1992 , AAS/92/03/S8/17-23, AAS/92/03/S8/17-23 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31090.

Jul 2 1992 , AAS/92/3/CT4,6,10,18, AAS/92/3/CT4,6,10,18 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB32087.

Jul 5 2014 , AAS-GR-15-07-162 - 194, AAS-GR-15-07-162 - 194 (Ground Photograph). SAB30886.

Jul 13 1947 , V 52, V 52 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30318.

Jul 14 1951 , GS 0032, GS 0032 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30317.

Jul 18 2000 , AAS/00/10/CT47-51, AAS/00/10/CT47-51 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31563.

Jul 18 2000 , AAS/00/10/G25/17-9, AAS/00/10/G25/17-9 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31564.

Jul 21 1983 , AAS/83/10/R26/9-10, AAS/83/10/R26/9-10 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30319.

Jul 21 1983 , AAS/83/10/S7/19, AAS/83/10/S7/19 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30323.

Jul 25 1982 , AAS/82/18/CT6-8, AAS/82/18/CT6-8 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31973.

Jul 25 1982 , AAS/82/18/S15/10, AAS/82/18/S15/10 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30322.

Jun 16 2009 , Gr DG3659-714, Gr DG3659-714 (Ground Photograph). SAB32217.

May 16 2014 , AAS-GR-14-05-052 - 063, AAS-GR-14-05-052 - 063 (Ground Photograph). SAB34413.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, DUFFUS 5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 06/06/86 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 17/03/84 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 28/11/81 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

Oct 25 1989 , MJ 1-10, MJ 1-10 (Ground Photograph). SAB33390.

Oct 25 1989 , MY 36-37, MY 36-37 (Ground Photograph). SAB33408.

Sep 1 1955 , A 93-5, A 93-5 (Ground Photograph). SAB30321.

Sep 20 1984 , DL 20-30, DL 20-30 (Ground Photograph). SAB30320.

Record last edited

Sep 12 2024 12:26PM