Findlater Castle

Banff, United Kingdom

Findlater Castle is the old seat of the Earls of Findlater and Seafield, sitting on a 15m high cliff overlooking the Moray Firth on the coast of Banff and Buchan. The cliffs here contain quartz; the name 'Findlater' is derived not from Norse as earlier stated here, but from the Scots Gaelic words fionn ('white') and leitir ('cliff or steep slope').

The first historical reference to the castle is from 1246. King Alexander III of Scotland repaired this castle in the 1260s in preparation for an invasion by King Haakon IV of Norway. The Vikings took and held the castle for some time. The castle remains that are still there are from the 14th-century rebuilding, when the castle was redesigned based on the Roslyn Castle model.

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Address

Banff, United Kingdom
See all sites in Banff

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

pappawookee (5 years ago)
Fantastic location and stunning scenery. Bit treacherous when it's wet but well worth the trek along the coast from Cullen.
Sue Ruddick (5 years ago)
Love this Castle after a long path down u start to climb up to this ruined Castle the veiws are stunning over the sea. Well worth the visit
George (5 years ago)
Cool ruined castle in the cliff! Takes 10 minutes from the car park to get inside the castle. Easy walk when it's dry, maybe it will be slippy when it's wet. Plenty of birds flying about including cormorants.
Autumn Dark (5 years ago)
An amazing ....erm, Find!.. Nearly slept in this but I hadn't trekked enough that day so I pushed on... If you are looking for a unique spot to flail away some time this will fit the bill
David Ritchie (5 years ago)
Not for the faint of heart. Perched on an outcrop like a mini Donnotar Castle it's a bit of a scramble to get there, those with younger children should use caution as there are steep drops and cliffs. There are a few rooms still intact to explore and the views are stunning. It's a short easy walk from the car park, and the castle is visible from the information point if you are not feeling up to heading over. There are no toilets, cafe or shop.
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