Kildrummy Castle
| Kildrummy Castle | ||
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 Kildrummy Castle |
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| Creation time : | around 1250 | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Standing position : | High nobility | |
| Geographical location | 57 ° 14 '5.5 " N , 2 ° 54' 16.5" W | |
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Kildrummy Castle is a ruined castle in historic Scottish County Mar in present-day Aberdeenshire near the village of Kildrummy . It was once one of the most powerful castles in the country and is located near the village of Kildrummy, about 30 kilometers west of Aberdeen .
history
The 12th century Scottish kings David I , Malcolm IV and William the Lion tried to strengthen the monarchy. These kings skillfully placed their own relatives in decisive positions - so around 1170 William the Lion awarded the lordship of Garioch to a younger brother. In order to counterbalance the immigrant family of the Earls of Fife who had settled in Huntly Castle , however, the influential Celtic Mormaer of Mar in the region, who at the time resided in the Doune of Invernochty , were also supported.
The castle was built in the second half of the 13th century, probably after 1260, on behalf of Uilleam , Mormaer von Mar and with royal support. It was strategically significantly more favorable and was intended to secure the rule of the Earls of Mar (and thus also of the kings) and control important routes from the south to the Moray and Buchan regions . The English King Edward I was a guest twice, in the summer of 1296 and in October 1303. He showed a personal interest in the castle; Payments to his master architect and certain structural similarities with Harlech Castle and Conway Castle suggest a participation.
In the Scottish Wars of Independence , Robert the Bruce was crowned king on March 25, 1306. In the autumn of 1306 his family fled to the castle from persecution by the English. But in September the English besieged the castle. Despite the heavy siege equipment, the siege was only successful after a bribed farrier set fire in the castle. The English destroyed parts of the castle and executed all of the men, including Nigel Bruce, a brother of the Scottish king. His sister Mary and his wife Elizabeth de Burgh were captured, and his daughter Marjorie Bruce was sent to a nunnery.
Kildrummy Castle was repaired and besieged again in 1335, this time by pro-English nobles led by David of Atholl. These could be distributed by Andrew Moray. 1357 was a further siege, this time by the forces of King David II. , The renegade , 9th Earl of Mar Thomas defeated. As part of his efforts to restrict the power of the nobility, James I took possession of Kildrummy Castle in 1435. In the course of the following decades the castle was strengthened and expanded, in 1442 Robert Erskine of that Ilk took it legally in possession. The castle passed to Lord Elphinstone in 1507 . He had an additional tower built, which is now known as the Elphinstone Tower .
In the uprising of 1689 Jacobites occupied the castle for which it incurred damage was John Erskine, Earl of Mar 23, an indemnity of £ 900. After the Jacobite uprising of 1715 , the Earl of Mar went into exile, the castle remained uninhabited and began to deteriorate. The stones used for the construction were of high quality, which is why Kildrummy Castle subsequently served as a quarry for a while. In 1805 the Snow Tower collapsed.
description
The castle has the shape of an irregular pentagon and measures about 60 by 70 meters. The two corners of the north wall are formed by the "Snow Tower" and the "Warden Tower". The double-towered gatehouse forms the end to the south; the semicircular towers in between are called "Maldis" and "Burges". The base of all towers protrudes outwards, the guard rooms in them contain both hearths and latrines. The gatehouse resembles that of other castles from the end of the 13th century. The entire complex was surrounded by a moat, which is still well preserved in the east of the castle. With a width of 25 meters, it was up to 5 meters deep and was spanned by a wooden drawbridge at the gatehouse. The outwork in front of the gatehouse was added in the 15th century.
"Warden Tower" is the best preserved part of the castle. The prison was housed in its base; access to the upper floors was via external wooden stairs. It served the keeper of the castle as quarters, but was part of the defensive positions in times of war. "Elphinstone Tower" is a subsequently added, three-story tower house . Together with the “Snow Tower” and the “Great Hall”, these three buildings formed the living area of the castle, with a fountain in the base of the “Snow Tower”; the vaulted cellars of the "Great Hall" served as storage rooms. The kitchen and bakery were attached to the outside as smaller buildings.
The castle today
In 1898, Colonel James Ogston bought the castle to restore it and built a residential home on the castle grounds around 1900. The restoration work ceased with his death in 1931, the ruins of Kildrummy Castle became the property of the state in 1951 and are now looked after by Historic Scotland . The house was converted into a hotel in 1978.
literature
- Coventry, Martin: The Castles of Scotland (4th Edition) . Polygon, Goblinshead, 2006.
- Tabraham, Chris: Kildrummy Castle and Glenbuchat Castle . Historic Scotland, Edinburgh 1986, reprinted 1998. ISBN 0748010815 .
