Archaeology Notes

Event ID 692278

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/692278

NO67NE 10.00 67124 75109

NO67NE 10.01 66 77 to 66 78 Royal (King's) Deer Park

(NO 6710 7510) Kincardine Castle (NR) (remains of)

OS 1:10,000 map, (1977)

The remains of Kincardine Castle, of simple curtain wall type, stand on a natural, wooded hillock formerly surrounded by marsh which would make any outworks superfluous, although the site is said to be terraced in front with indications of a drawbridge and moat (Watt 1914).

Now 5 to 6ft in maximum height, the remains reveal a quadrangular plan fully 130ft square with rectangular gate-towers on the S and a thick outer wall with sloping plinth. Remains of apartments lie round three sides of the interior.

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92; J C Watt 1914.

Kincardine Castle is generally as described by MacGibbon and Ross (1887-92), but now greatly obscured by vegetation. Outside the castle in the E and S is a scarp, which could be the remains of an original defence, mutilated by trees and a now overgrown 19th century track, surrounding the castle. This is undoubtedly the terrace described by Watt. His drawbridge is probably the access way to the above track and a hollow immediately to the E of it, fronting the scarp, gives the impression of the remains of a ditch.

Revised at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (ISS) 13 August 1971.

Listed.

Scottish Castle Survey 1988; N Bogdan and I B D Bryce 1991.