Fedderate Castle is a ruined castle near
New Deer
New Deer ( gd, Achadh Reite) is a settlement in Aberdeenshire, North East Scotland, which lies in the valley of Deer. It is located at the junction of several roads crossing through the Howe of Buchan. It was founded after monks from Deer Abbey, O ...
in
Aberdeenshire, Scotland, dating to around 1474 and built by the Crawford family. It was extended by the family in 1519.
A drawbridge and causeway provided access to the castle.
The walls are up to tall and thick.
History
On 15 December 1590, Robert Keith, the youngest brother of
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (c. 1553–1623) was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal. He succeeded as earl on 7 October 1581, upon the death of his grandfather, William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal.
Early life
George Keith was the s ...
, fled to Fedderate Castle after being dislodged from
Deer Abbey, which he had seized the previous September in the course of a dispute over his inheritance.
[Kerr-Peterson, Miles (2019), ''A Protestant Lord in James VI's Scotland: George Keith, Fifth Earl Marischal (1554–1623)'', Boydell Press, p. 56.]
Lord William Oliphant with Jacobite forces took control of Fedderate Castle and held out against the forces of
Hugh Mackay for more than three weeks, surrendering in October 1690.
The castle is a
scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
.
Its condition is the result of an attempt to blow up the structure, before its historic designation, "as an impediment to agriculture".
References
Bibliography
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External links
Fedderate Castle Virtual Tour
{{Authority control
Castles in Aberdeenshire
Ruined castles in Aberdeenshire
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Aberdeenshire