Gartly Castle

NJ53SW2 5333 3354.

(NJ 5333 3354) Gartly Castle (NR) (Site of)

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

Gartly Castle is 'an old building,.., placed on a small mount, and surrounded with a deep ditch. It is a square tower; one end of it is fallen down, and shews a section of strong vaulted rooms; but there seemed nothing so singular in its structure, as to merit more particular attention.'

C Cordiner 1780.

Nothing remains now to mark the site of Gartly Castle except a heap of stones and earth. It was inhabited in the year 1489.

Name Book 1871.

The natural rise on which Gartly Castle was constructed is c.17.0m in diameter and 2.5m maximum height. On top of the rise are two massive blocks of mortared rubble masonry, the larger of the two apparently in situ and possibly part of a vault. The block is 4.0m long, c.1.6m thick and c.3.5m high. Immediately to the west of the large block is a stone and turf bank 1.8m long, 1.0m thick and 1.0m high, which may be part of the foundation of the castle.

On the south, east and west sides of the mound is the ditch referred to above. It is, for the most part, filled in and overgrown with vegetation and its course cannot be accurately determined. Where it exists, however, it varies in width from 5.0 to 8.0m and on the east side is filled with water. Its location north of the mound cannot be accurately determined.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (EGC) 15 September 1961

The remaining features of Gartly Castle were removed in 1982. The site is now a levelled arable field.

Information from OS Reviser (PJA) 10 January 1983.