Conzie Castle
Tower House (Medieval)
Site Name Conzie Castle
Classification Tower House (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Bognie Castle
Canmore ID 17801
Site Number NJ54NE 13
NGR NJ 59496 45003
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/17801
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Forgue
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
Conzie Castle, 1699. A tall, gaunt and narrow ruin, the thinness of whose walls and the extent of whose rooms (four-window/four-storey) suggest a palace block rather than a castle.
Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
NJ54NE 13 59496 45003
(NJ 5949 4500) Conzie Castle (NR) (Remains of)
OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 2nd ed., (1902)
The remains of the manor-house of Conzie.
Name Book 1871.
The ruins of the castle of Bognie stand in a field on the south side of the Huntly and Banff turnpike road, but according to tradition was never inhabited. It shows traces of a plain building, and apparently existed in 1696.
An older mansion house stood to the south (? north) - east of it (see NJ54NE 16).
A Jervise 1875-9.
This was the mansion of Pennyburn which was under construction when the last Viscount Frendraught died (ie in 1698), and was never completed. Castle Conzie stood a little to the west of Bognie House (NJ54NE 16) but no trace of it remains. The Dunbars of Conzie lived here for nearly two hundred years.
W Temple 1886.
The castle is a rectangular structure, the entire east and south walls still standing to roof level, but only a part of the north and west walls remain. The architectural details confirm its late 17th century date of erection.
There seems to be some confusion in the name of this house (Ordnance Survey Name Book [ONB] 1871; Jervise 1875-9; Temple 1886), but local enquiries failed to confirm if it had ever been known by any name other than 'Conzie', the only information being that it was originally situated on land belonging to the farm of Conzie, but now belongs to Bognie.
No evidence was found for a second site for the castle.
Visited by OS (EGC) 2 October 1961.
Field Visit (22 July 2008 - 22 July 2008)
Photographic survey.
Srp Note (10 May 2011)
A tall four storey rectangular un-vaulted palatial structure, with crowstep gables and the remains of corner turrets. The window facings appear to have been removed for use elsewhere, leaving only the relieving arches. Nearby are the ruins of a dovecot (NJ54SE 3).
George Morison acquired Frendraught in 1676, which suggests that Pennyburn was started before that date. The armorial panel (1674) in Forgue kirkyard may have been taken from Bognie House or Pennyburn. Bognie House (NJ54NE 16) was located in the region of the steading of Mains of Bognie.
G. Taylor and A. Skinner’s road map, ‘The Road from Banff to Peterhead by Strichen’ (1776), shows two mansions on Morison of Bognie’s estate. These appear to correspond with Pennyburn and Bognie House.
Information from SRP Kirktown of Rothiemay, May 2011.
