Inverallochy Castle is a ruined courtyard castle, near the village of Inverallochy in the Buchan area of North-East Scotland, dating to 1504.[1] It lies 0.5 miles (0.80 km) south of Cairnbulg Castle, near Fraserburgh, and formerly stood beside the now-drained Loch of Inverallochy.[1] It was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of North-East Aberdeenshire.[2]
Description
editThe remains of buildings are arranged around three sides of a courtyard, with a curtain wall across the south side. A tower in the north-east corner remains largely to its full height,[1] while the remaining curtain wall stands up to 10 m high. The internal walls have largely collapsed. Evidence of a larger outer courtyard measuring approximately 60 metres (200 ft) square to the north and east remains. The ruins are protected as a scheduled monument. The castle appears to have all been built at once, and architectural evidence suggests an early 16th-century date. It may have been the work of Sir William Comyn (or Cumyng)[1] of Inverallochy, who was Lord Lyon in 1512–1519.[3][4]
Inscribed stone
editUntil the latter half of the 18th century, there was a stone inserted above the entrance, bearing the sculptured arms of the Comyns, with an inscription "recording that the estate around it was obtained by Jordan Comyn for building the abbey of Deer".[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 138. ISBN 185158-231-2.
- ^ Simpson, W.D. (1949). "Cairnbulg Castle, Aberdeenshire" (PDF). Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 83: 32–44.
- ^ "Inverallochy Castle". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Inverallochy Castle (SM97)". Retrieved 8 March 2019.
- ^ Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland, Frances Hindes Groome (1901), p. 852
External links
edit- A series of photos of Inverallochy Castle on Flickr
- Inverallochy Castle Virtual Tour Archived 5 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine
57°39′23″N 1°55′59″W / 57.65641°N 1.93308°W
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