Huntly Castle

Huntly, United Kingdom

Huntly Castle was the ancestral home of the chief of Clan Gordon, Earl of Huntly. Architecturally the castle consists of a well-preserved five-story tower with an adjoining great hall and supporting buildings. Areas of the original ornate facade and interior stonework remain. A mound in the grounds of the castle is all that remains of an earlier 12th century motte. Originally named Strathbogie, the castle was granted to Sir Adam Gordon of Huntly in the 14th century. King Robert the Bruce was a guest of the castle in 1307 prior to his defeat of the Earl of Buchan.

With its splendid architecture, Huntly Castle served as a baronial residence for five centuries. The palace block, erected in between the 16th and 17th centuries, has an impressive L-plan tower house and defensive earthworks from the civil war. The property is famed for the fine heraldic sculpture and inscribed stone friezes and includes two impressive heraldic fireplaces in the Marchioness’s lodging.

Eleven steps lead to the raised area where the castle stands. The castle can be viewed from outside and there is an interpretation board giving information about the property.

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Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Rachel Williams (2 months ago)
Enjoyed a lovely family day out. Admission was reasonably priced. Walked around the ruins had inside and outdoor areas. Some pebbled areas, steps to climb and different levels to negotiate but not to much for the young children in the party aged between (3 and 6) Disabled access is limited to the surrounds as climbing stairs inside the towers may present difficulties. There was parking facilities outside and a nice park with play area and picnic area close to the river which was very picturesque.
Team toobs (5 months ago)
Magnificent! Well worth the £7.50. Lots of levels to explore, Scarily rebuilt spiral staircases. Fairly good info boards. Great views.
Charles Nancollis (6 months ago)
Fantastic castle with an interesting history. We were lucky to have a guide give us a lot of information, which made it much more enjoyable.
Jonathan Stone (7 months ago)
Plenty of plaques around to provide information for visitors. The castle is amongst varied tall mature trees and with the small river at the side it's a very pleasant setting. Visitors can go in part of the remains of the castle and go up and down stairs so it's not a total ruin. Aberdeenshire has a lot of castles and Huntly is perhaps not near the top of the list but very much worth a visit.
alan Gibbs (10 months ago)
Beautiful castle ruins to explore, lots of up and down steps to get to all of the rooms. Small car park near the entrance.Its a bit of a strange approach past football grounds and playing fields . Well worth visiting.
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The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.