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Huntly Castle is a substantial ruined fortress situated in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, that developed over several centuries from its origins in the twelfth century as a motte-and-bailey stronghold. The castle was transformed significantly during the sixteenth century when the Gordon family, who held the earldom of Huntly, constructed the impressive stone palace and fortifications that dominate the site today, including the distinctive five-storey square tower keep. The main castle buildings date primarily from the 1550s and 1560s, featuring Renaissance architectural elements and ornamental stonework characteristic of that period. The ruins demonstrate the strategic importance of the site to the powerful Gordon dynasty and reflect the transition from medieval military fortification to early modern aristocratic residence in the Scottish Highlands.
Huntly Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90165. View the official record →
Huntly Castle is a substantial ruined fortress situated in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, that developed over several centuries from its origins in the twelfth century as a motte-and-bailey stronghold. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90165.
Huntly Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM90165.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Huntly Market Square, symbol stone and standing stone (0.7 km), Dunbennan Old Church,church and burial ground (2.8 km), Kinnoir Old Church,church 550m WSW of Corse of Kinnoir (2.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Huntly Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Huntly Castle stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.