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The first historical reference to the castle is from 1246.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.

References:

Wikipedia

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.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.

Findlater Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople