Udny Castle
Country House (19th Century), Tower House (Medieval)
Site Name Udny Castle
Classification Country House (19th Century), Tower House (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Udny Castle Policies
Canmore ID 19612
Site Number NJ82NE 21
NGR NJ 88220 26789
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/19612
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Udny
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
Udny Castle, 16th century. Rising sublimely from a cocoon of greenery, the richly detailed upper works lighten the gravity
of this truly imposing, tall (four storeys and attic), harled tower. Particularly fine on south side where a corbelled and cannon-spouted wall-walk is slung between two twin angle-turrets. The large caphouse is corbie-stepped and the chimney coped. Many mural chambers including the pit. Large baronial mansion added, 1874-5, H M Wardrop; additions
demolished and tower restored, 1964-7, by G Bennet Mitchell (John Lamb).
Deserted, c.1775, some repairs, 1801, but of Wardrop's efforts only the good plasterwork on the hall vault survives.
Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
NJ82NE 21.00 88220 26789
NJ82NE 21.01 NJ 88183 27459 North Lodge
NJ82NE 21.02 NJ 8829 2712 stables
NJ82NE 21.03 Centred NJ 8825 2675 garden; sundial
NJ82NE 21.04 Centred NJ 8853 2693 walled garden
NJ82NE 21.05 NJ 8859 2694 Gardener's Cottage
NJ82NE 21.06 NJ 8915 2687 Home Farm
NJ82NE 21.07 NJ 8911 2675 Home Farm Cottages
NJ82NE 21.08 NJ 8850 2634 The Kennels
See also:
NJ82NE 74 NJ c. 886 265 Cist
NJ82NE 92 NJ 8882 2712 Gravel Pit
(NJ 8822 2679) Udny Castle (NR) (only tower shown)
OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 1st ed., (1868)
(NJ 8822 2680) Udny Castle (NR)
OS 6" map, (1959)
Udny Castle is a tall, five storey, stronghold, rectangular on plan, rounded at the angles. A modern mansion, which was attached, has been demolished and only the old work remains.
MacGibbon and Ross (1887-92) considered that the work dates from the late 16th or early 17th century, but the thickness of the walls, the vaulting on two floors and the fact that there is an ancient intake in the masonary above second floor level indicates an earlier period of construction. The external aspect suggests that the three lower storeys represent an early thick-walled keep of possibly the first half of the 15th century, which was heightened probably in the 16th century, and completed with the angle turrets and present gables in the early 17th century.
Traditionally Udny was built by three lairds. The first recorded mention of the property seems to have been when Ronald of Uldney had a charter of the lands from David II. The Udny's have occupied the property down to the present times.
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92; N Tranter 1962-70.
Udny Castle, as described by Tranter (1962-70) and planned by MacGibbon and Ross (1887-92), was renovated in 1966 and is now occupied.
Visited by OS (RL) 5 April 1972.
(Newspaper reference cited).
NMRS, MS/712/80.
NMRS REFERENCE:
Owner: Lady Belhave & Stenton
Architect: Wardrop & Anderson 1875, modern wings added on North and East sides of the tower. (Source - Aberdeenshire 3rd Statistical Account. Pub. 1960)
Fireplace from Udny castle now at Old Maryculter House (Deeside Hotel), Maryculter
Photographic Survey (7 June 1961)
Photographic survey of the exterior and interior of Udny Castle, Aberdeenshire, in 1961.
