Archaeology Notes

Event ID 669854

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/669854

NJ75NW 1 7220 5618

(NJ 7220 5618) Castle of King Edward (NR) (Remains of)

OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 2nd ed., (1902)

King Edward Castle: The ruins of what was probably a castle of the period between 1200 and 1300. The name associates it with Edward and his invasion, but it is believed to be a corruption of a much older name - Kinedar.

The castle seems to have been built by the Comyns, and was probably dismantled by Bruce, afterwards passing through many hands. Its appears to have been re-built by Lord Forbes early in the 16th century.

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92.

From the ground plan that remains, the castle appears to have belonged exclusively to the 13th century. Its enclosing walls had no angle towers.

The castle was protected on the south by the Burn of King Edward; on the east and west the sides were precipitous, and on the NW angle a deep ditch was dug which severed the neck of the peninsula.

The ditch was spanned by a drawbridge which served a gateway, a massive portion of the base of which is the most conspicuous remaining fragment of the castle.

Within the courtyard can still be traced the rooms and towers of the castle. Three chambers flanked either side of the courtyard, and at the east end, opposite the gate, the two sides were closed by a chamber of quite large dimensions.

Foundations for that part of the building that did not rest on solid rock were found down the face of the promontory. Carved stones etc from the castle are preserved at Castleton Farm.

J Godsman 1952.

The remains of this castle, as described above, consist of fragments of walling now from 0.5m - 5.0m high, with the outline of a rectangular courtyard in the centre. The ditch on the NW side is more likely to be a natural, rather than an artificial, gully. The Castle Hill is now much overgrown, and the remains of the castle are further obscured by piles of rubble, apparently spoil from excavations. One stone said to be from the castle was seen inserted in the steading wall at Castleton; there are others now obscured or hidden by extension to the steading.

Revised at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 23 September 1964; Information from Mr W Sharp, farmer, Castleton.

Identified as motte.

P A Yeoman 1988.