Auchindoun Castle is a 15th-century L-Plan tower castle located in

Auchindoun Auchindoun Castle is a 15th-century L-Plan tower castle located in Auchindoun near Dufftown in Banffshire, Scotland. History While there is evidence of prehistoric or Pictish earthworks in the grounds of the castle, the remains most visible tod ...

near Dufftown in

Banffshire Banffshire ; sco, Coontie o Banffshire; gd, Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Moray ...

, Scotland. Auchindoun_Castle_-_geograph

History

While there is evidence of

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

or Pictish earthworks in the grounds of the castle, the remains most visible today are of the castle constructed in the mid-15th century. This building is sometimes said to be the work of Robert Cochrane, a favourite of James III. It passed to the Clan Ogilvy in 1489 and from them to the Clan Gordon in 1535.Coventry (2008). p. 228. There are accounts, including by William Forbes Skene and Alexander Macbain, that state that William Mackintosh, 15th of Mackintosh had burned the Earl of Huntly's Auchindoun Castle which is why Huntly had him executed in 1550. However, Alexander Mackintosh-Shaw states that this story is entirely fictitious. The castle was damaged by the Clan Mackintosh in 1592 in retaliation for Huntly's killing of the '' Bonny Earl O'Moray'', their ally. In March 1593 Patrick Gordon of Auchindoun was forfeited as a rebel, and Auchindoun Castle was given to Sir George Home, whose wife Elizabeth Gordon was Patrick Gordon's stepdaughter. After the battle of Glenlivet in October 1594, the wounded followers of the Earl of Huntly came to Auchindoun for safety. James VI ordered that Auchindoun, Slains Castle, Huntly Castle, and the Gordon castles of Abergeldy and Newton should be slighted or demolished. Following the Restoration of Charles II, the castle was again awarded to the

Marquis of Huntly Marquess of Huntly (traditionally spelled Marquis in Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: ''Coileach Strath Bhalgaidh'') is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly, George Gordon, 6th Ea ...

. In 1689, during the

first Jacobite rising The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

, the castle was used as a temporary headquarters (on 6–7 June 1689) by John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee and his Jacobite army. However, the castle was derelict by 1725. Stones taken from the castle were used in local farm buildings and nearby

Balvenie Castle Balvenie Castle is a ruined castle 1 km north of Dufftown in the Moray region of Scotland. History Originally known as ''Mortlach'', it was built in the 12th century by a branch of the powerful Comyn family (the ''Black Comyns'') and was ...

Courtyard Auchindown Castle, 5265 GWW - George Washington Wilson - ABDMS018116

Architecture

While standing, the castle had a large central tower and high curtain wall. Supporting buildings including a

stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

, brewery and bakery stood inside the wall. A second round tower guarded the north-west corner of the compound. Cellars and possibly dungeons were dug directly into the bedrock beneath the tower. Today much of the curtain wall and some of the outbuildings remain, but the central tower itself is very dilapidated. An extension is known to have been added in the 16th century by the Gordons before the Ogilvys reclaimed it in 1594. Stones taken from the castle have been used in local farm buildings and nearby

. The ruins of the castle are in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument,Coventry (2008). p. 462. but were for many years in too dangerous a condition to be open to the public. On the completion of consolidation works, Auchindoun was reopened for public viewing in November 2007.

"The Burning of Auchindoun" song

The sacking of Auchindoun by the Clan Mackintosh inspired a traditional song, "The Burning of Auchindoun" (lyrics courtesy of the Digital Tradition Folk Music Database),

Child Ballad The Child Ballads are 305 traditional ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, anthologized by Francis James Child during the second half of the 19th century. Their lyrics and Child's studies of them were published as '' ...

183, "Willie MacIntosh":

''As A cam in by Fiddichside, on a May mornin''
''A spied Willie MacIntosh an oor before the dawnin''

''Tarn again, tarn again, tarn again, A'se bid ye''
''If ye barn Auchindoun, Huntly he will heid ye''

''Heid me or hang me, that shall never fear me''
''A'll burn Auchindoun tho' the life leave me''

''As A cam in bi Fiddichside on a May mornin''
''Auchindoun was in a bleeze, an hour before the dawning''

''Crawing, crawing, for a' your crouse crawin
''Ye burnt yer crop an tint your wings an oor before the dawnin''

Gallery

File:Auchindoun Castle Keep - geograph.org.uk - 1369204.jpg, Arches and vaults of Auchindoun Castle Keep File:Auchindoun Castle Keep - geograph.org.uk - 1369170.jpg, Auchindoun Castle Keep File:Auchindoun Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1369286.jpg, Auchindoun Castle with Kiln visible File:View from Auchindoun Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1369186.jpg, View from the Castle through a ruined doorway, towards the South East

References

External links