Archaeology Notes

Event ID 710135

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/710135

NT07NE 9 0905 7647.

(NT 0905 7647) Duntarvie Castle (NR) (remains of)

OS 6" map (1967)

Now roofless and neglected, Duntarvie Castle is a fairly large late 16th century house, though its style would suggest a date of at least a century later. It consists of an oblong main block, four storeys high, with square towers of five storeys attached to its N angles. In the re-entrant angles thus formed, tall stair-turrets are corbelled out about first-floor level. These rise higher again then the tower roofs, to which they give access, and end in stone-roofed cap-houses.

It was probably built for James Durham who was granted the lands of Duntarvie in 1588; later acquired by the Hopes and added to Hopetoun Estate.

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1888; RCAHMS 1929, visited 1926; N Tranter 1962; SDD List 1964.

As described.

Visited by OS (JLD) 31 December 1952 and (JP) 25 March 1974

Duntarvie Castle was originally symmetrical; the piece at the SW corner (see plan) was added in the 17th century.

C McWilliam 1978

Photographed by the RCAHMS in 1980.

(Undated) information in NMRS.

Possible 17th century garden.

N Hynd 1984

NT 090 764. In the course of a programme of restoration works, AOC (Scotland) Ltd monitored the removal of modern rubble from within the W wing of the building (December 1994 to January 1995). All work was suspended in late January due to the unsafe condition of the building in high winds. Within a few days, part of the E tower collapsed and, at the time of writing, the programme of restoration works has not resumed on site.

Sponsor: Ed Kelly (architect), for Geoffrey Nicholsby (owner)

J O'Sullivan 1995

NT 090 764 In the course of a programme of restoration works at Duntarvie Castle (NMRS NT07NE 9), the excavation of foundation trenches around the ruinous E tower was monitored. These foundations form the first stage of the restoration of the tower after its partial collapse in 1995. The watching brief was the latest in a series of preparatory works associated with the renovation of the castle (O'Sullivan 1995). No significant archaeological sediments or artefacts were observed in the course of these works.

Sponsor: Ed Kelly (architect), for Geoffrey Nicholsby (owner).

R McCullagh 1999

NT 0905 7647 A watching brief was conducted to supervise the removal of vegetation and soil deposits that had amassed on the W tower of Duntarvie Castle. These works are part of a continuing programme of restoration work on the castle.

The watching brief revealed no evidence for the use of clay as a sealant in the construction of the roof. Very little of the original roof was in situ, with even the surviving drainage and gutter stones slipped or skewed.

Sponsor: Ed Kelly Architects.

L Dunbar and Murray Cook 2000

NT 0905 7647 An archaeological record was made in July 2001 of masonry at Duntarvie Castle (NMRS NT07NE 9), including part of the W gable wall, and several hundred architectural fragments located around the castle.

Sponsor: Ed Kelly (Architects) for Mr Nicholsby.

G Ewart, P Sharman and A Hollinrake 2001.