Kildrummy New Castle
Hotel (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Kildrummy New Castle
Classification Hotel (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Kildrummy Castle Hotel
Canmore ID 127776
Site Number NJ41NE 70
NGR NJ 45313 16403
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/127776
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Kildrummy
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
Kildrummy Castle, from 13th century. The great castle of enclosure broods on the edge of the hole from which its stones were gouged. Although now shattered and broken, the smooth ashlar faces of its curving towers still gleam in the light. It was begun by Alexander II as a plain polygonal enclosure. The chapel was soon built, protruding, strangely, from the curtain wall. Possibly following a visit from Edward I of England in 1296, the towers, ashlar plinth and gatehouse were added, thereby creating a high medieval stone castle with donjon, archers' slits and portcullis, which was - Bothwell excepted - without rival in 13th century Scotland. Pit for counter-balanced drawbridge inserted (?15th century) into Edwardian gatehouse front. The Elphinstone Tower, a tower-house, was built at the west end of the hall in the 16th century.
In 1402 Sir Malcolm Drummond of Kindrochit, Braemar, was 'so mishandled' that he died, and shortly after, in 1404, the supposed instigator, Alexander Stewart, son of the notorious Wolf of Badenoch, seized Kildrummy Castle and married his victim's wife, the Countess Isabella, partaking in a bizarre ceremony.
On 9 September 1404 Countess Isabella herself, accompanied by the Bishop of Ross, Red Sir Andrew Leslie, Sir Walter Ogilvy, and other magnates ... and tenants assembled outside the great gate of the castle ... Suddenly Stewart appeared and, coming forward, solemnly renounced everything he had taken, including the Castle of Kildrummy with all the furniture, precious metals and charters. He then gave the keys into the Countess's hands in token of this grand and high-minded deed of renunciation ... The Countess, handing back the keys to the usurper, with equal solemnity, 'before all our tenants', declared that of her own free will ... 'outside our Castle of Kildrummy, not shut up or detained in the same' she chose Alexander Stewart to be her husband, conferring on him the Earldom of Mar and Lordship of the Garioch ... Let us try to picture this extraordinary scene. In the background the frowning Edwardian gatehouse, streaming with banners. Between its massive towers the deep-recessed portal, in front the drawbridge and the long trestled gangway spanning the wide, palisaded ditch. Beyond in the field is a little group of brilliant figures, with the Countess herself in the middle; the grave faces of the ecclesiastics, the busy clerks, peasants and retainers ... Dominating everything and everybody is the haughty figure of Sir Alexander Stewart himself, as, clad in shining mail, he crosses the bridge, superbly confident, and bends the knee in solemn mockery as he delivers over to his unhappy victim the keys of her castle.
W D Simpson, 'The Earldom of Mar'
Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
NJ41NE 70.00 45313 16403
NJ41NE 70.01 NJ 4572 1654 Entrance Cottage
NJ41NE 70.02 NJ 45515 16490 Back Den Bridge
NJ41NE 70.03 NJ c. 454 164 Gardens
NJ41NE 70.04 NJ 45335 16375 Terrace
NJ41NE 70.05 NJ 45730 16585 Castle Cottage
