Archaeology Notes

Event ID 686737

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/686737

NO30SW 4.00 31250 00692

NO30SW 4.01 31000 00635 Walled Garden

NO30SW 4.02 31067 00693 Gardener's Cottage

NO30SW 4.03 31333 00566 Gate Piers and Boundary Wall

NO30SW 4.04 31065 00833 Turbine House

NO30SW 4.05 31077 00695 Summerhouse

(NO 3127 0068) Balgonie Castle (NR) (In Ruins) Tower (NR) Ditch (NR)

OS 6" map (1938)

Balgonie Castle is the ruin of an early 15th century tower, set at the NW angle of a later enclosure, the north east sides of which consist of ranges of outbuildings and the entrance to which is covered by a banquette and ditch, probably not earlier than the 17th century. The tower is unusually well masoned; is oblong on plan and measures 15 1/2' from ground to parapet. There are four storeys beneath the wall-head. The walls are of ashlar.

RCAHMS 1933

The walls, buildings and earthworks still remain as described above. The castle is unoccupied.

Visited by OS (JFC), 4 October 1954

Balgonie Castle: the tower walls and roof are intact but the roof is now in poor condition. The building in the SE corner is complete, with masonry recently repointed. Now used as a store. All remaining walls in coursed ashlar and standing, on average, about 16 feet high.

Visited by OS Reviser (J Skinner), 17 November 1959

Excavations in 1978 within the courtyard revealed an earlier E and S range, as well as traces of other buildings which were not fully excavated. These buildings seem to have been demolished for an extensive rebuilding programme in the 1640's.

R S Will and T N Dixon 1995.