Castles, Tower Houses and Gardens

Dunstaffnage Caste, Argyll. Built C11 by Mcdougalls, Lords of Lorne. Pre-Norman.

Castle Sween, west coast of Argyll, C11-14. Built by Suibhne, son of Hugh Anrahnan, Brother of king of Ulster

Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire, early C12 - Norman Castle

Castle Tioram, early 1200s, Highlands. Stronghold of Lords of Isles. Pre-Norman

Tantallon Castle, East Lothian, 1354

Rothesay Castle, Isle of Bute, Early Norman 1204-1246. Possibly on site of earlier celtic era fortification. Built by Alan Fitz Walter, Steward of Scotland

Bothwell Castle, Lanarkshire. Mid 1200s for Walter of Moravia, Early Norman

Duffus Castle, Moray C11, Early Norman Period. built by a Flemish Knight named Freskin. Example of a motte-and-bailey; extensive outer bailey with a moat, then a walled inner bailey surrounding a large timber motte

Bass of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, mid 12th century. Possibly built by Norman knight, Badolf de Lesselyn. Example of motte-and-bailey - early Norman period

Caerlaverock, Dumfriesshire. French Chateau type - Stronghold of the Maxwell Family - C13-17

Doune Castle, Strilingshire, acquired by Robert Steward, 1st Duke of Albany (c.1340-1420)

Ravenscraig Castle, Kirkaldym Fife, c.1460, completed by James III. Master mason was Henry Merlioun. Example of an artillery castle - L plan

Craigmiller Castle, Edinburgh, c14th with later additions. Built by Preston family of Craigmiller

Craignethan Castle, South Lanarkshire 1530s. Home of James Hamilton Finnart, Kings Master of Works, given to him by his father, the 1st Earl of Arran

Edinburgh Castle; site of the ‘great hall’ of a chieftan called Eydin, 637. Later reperations made to the Portcullis Gate and Curtain Wall in 1573-1610

Great Hall for James IV, c.1503, restored 1888. Original open hammer-beam timber roof with carved stone corbels

Borthwick Castle, Midlothian, 1430. Example of a Tower House - for Sir William Borthwick

Drum Castle, Aberdeenshire 1323; early Tower Castle, for chief of Clan Irvine

Balvaird Castle, Perthshire, c.1495; Tower House for Sir Andrew Murray. Cap-house above the stair in the form of miniature tower-house

Crichton Castle, Midlothian - late C14th, 2 towers added in C15. Example of Tower House

Cairnbulg Castle, Aberdeenshire. C13-14. Originally a large square tower house. Destroyed during Wars of Independence 1308-1309, re-built in 1380 by Earl of Ross. Round tower C16

Claypotts Castle, Dundee. 1568-88. Example of later tower-houses. Plan is Z-plan

Huntly Castle, Aberdeenshire. Example of late tower house. Refurbished by 6th Earl to celebrate becoming the 1st Marquis of Huntly in 1599. High oriel windows with celebratory inscriptions

Earl’s Palace, Orkney; for Patrick, Earl of Orkney, begun 1607. Example of later tower house

Preston Tower, Prestonpans, East Lothian; possible C14, 2 storeys added 1626

Craigievar, Aberdeenshire, 1626; later tower house, for John Forbes, Aberdeen merchant

Crathes Castle, Aberdeenshire, 1596