James VI ordered the demolition of Huntly Castle (the Gordons' great seat at Strathbogie) and Slains Castle (Erroll's stronghold) in late 1594 following his northern expedition after the Catholic earls' victory at Glenlivet. A royal force moved to carry out the demolitions. The actual destruction was partial — the castles were damaged but not levelled, partly because the cost and logistics of complete demolition were prohibitive and partly because both earls still had friends at court. The partial demolition was a public humiliation of the earls rather than a genuine strategic destruction of their power bases.
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