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GLENBUCHAT CASTLE FACTS
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Location
near Kirkton of Glenbuchat, Aberdeenshire
Description
Glenbuchat Castle is an historic Scottish castle located above the River Don, near Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire. The building is roofless, but otherwise in fairly good repair. Both the castle and the surrounding land are now managed by Historic Scotland.
Architecture
Glenbuchat Castle has a Z-shaped architecture with a main rectangular building and two towers at diagonally opposing corners of the rectangle. This was a popular style of Scottish castle. The castle has round and square turrets, crow stepped gables and tall chimney stacks. The stair turrets had conical roofs. An unusual feature of Glenbuchat is the arches supporting the stair turrets. There are similarities between Glenbuchat and Hatton Castle in Angus (built 1575). A bell once hung in the vertical slot in the south face of the square turret at the top of the south west tower. The castle door was protected by a massive iron gate, or yett. The hinge-crooks on which the yett hung can still be seen.
History
Glenbuchat was built in 1590 as a new residence for John Gordon of Cairburrow and his second wife, Helen Carnegie, to mark their wedding. The Gordon family sold the castle in 1738, by which time it was already partly unroofed by that time. The castle was bought by James Barclay, MP, in 1901 and he carried out essential repairs to conserve the ruin. In 1946 he handed the castle over to the state.
Date
16th century
Other Castles in the Area
Abergeldie Castle
Auchindoun Castle
Balfluig Castle
Ballindalloch Castle
Balmoral Castle
Balvenie Castle
Braemar Castle
Cluny Castle
Corgarff Castle
Craigievar Castle
Forbes Castle
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