Built during the reign of Alexander II (1214-49), this castle of enclosure was roughly seven sided, with a twin-round towered gatehouse (possibly added later, the similarity to that at Harlech indicates that it may have been added by Edward 1 during the English occupation), two d-shaped towers at the turns of the shorter walls, and two large round towers at each end of the north wall. The larger of these towers is the Snow Tower, and like Bothwell, which had a similar original plan, is often compared to Coucy in France. The north wall supported a range of buildings on it's interior, and the entire structure surrounded by a complex of banks and ditches.
The gatehouse was protected by a barbican, and accessed via a drawbridge.
The original stone castle was built by Gilbert de Moray, Bishop of Caithness, and kinsman to the builder of Bothwell, Walter de Moravia.
It was captured by Edward 1 in 1296, and again by the English in 1306, when the brother of Robert the Bruce, Nigel was in charge of the defence. It was set alight by Osbourne the blacksmith, who was paid by the English in molten gold poured down his throat.
It was restored by 1333, and beseiged by the Earl of Atholl in 1335, on behalf of the English, but successfully defended by Christian Bruce, sister to Robert 1, and aunt to the young David II, and wife of Andrew de Moray the Regent. He lifted the siege, killing the traitor Atholl at the Battle of Culbean. David II then besieged and took it from the Earl of Mar in 1363.
Alexander Stewart, the son of Wolf of Badenoch acquired it by forcing Isabel Countess of Mar to marry him in 1404. He had possibly kidnapped her husband Sir Malcolm Drummond at Kindrochit.
Stewart subsequently led the King's army at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411.
Kildrummy was held by the crown from 1435, and survived an attack by the Erskines in 1442.
It was sacked by the 'freebooter' John Strachan of Lynturk in 1530.
It later came into the hands of the Cochranes, then the Elphinstones until 1606 when they were forced to cede it to the then Earls of Mar Erskines. It was captured by Cromwell's forces in 1654, burned by the Jacobites in 1690, and used by the Jacobite Earl of Mar as his headquarters when he raised the rebellion of 1715.
It came to the Gordons of Wardhouse in 1731. After the demise of Jacobitism it became the local quarry until the 19thc.
The ruins were stabilised in 1898, and around this time a 'secret' passage was discovered.
It came into state care in 1951.
Canmore;
QUOTE
Alternative Names: Alford Castle; Kildrummie Castle; Culsh Burn; Black Den
Type of Site: Defence/ Castle; Tower-House; Chapel
NMRS Number: NJ41NE 4.00
Map reference: NJ 4548 1639
Parish: Kildrummy
Council: Aberdeenshire
Former District: Gordon
Former Region: Grampian
NJ41NE 4.00 45485 16390
NJ41NE 4.01 NJ 4549 1638 Grave-slab
(NJ 455 164) Kildrummy Castle (NR) (In Ruins)
OS 6" map (1902)
Kildrummy Castle - Fully described, illustrated and planned by Simpson.
W D Simpson 1965
Kildrummy Castle as described and illustrated in the MoW pamphlet.
Re-surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 20 September 1968.
One of the few great castles of enclosure to have survived in Scotland from the high point of medieval Europrean castle building, Kildrummy's broken grey walls lie like giant shattered eggshells. Defended to the N by the steep natural den from which the stone for the castle was quarried, and with a broad ditch quarried on the other sides, in plan, Kildrummy is shield-shaped (with the flat top to the N).
It appears that the castle as first constructed in the early 13th century for Alexander II was a plain polygonal enclosure; this phase is represented by the coursed rubble of the E, W and S curtains. In the middle of the century the chapel was constructed, and, to achieve a true E-W axis, was allowed to breach the curtain (in a manner 'that defies rational and learned explanation'). Subsequently, possibly as a result of the visit if Edward I of England in 1296, the towers, the ashlar plinth of the N curtain and the gatehouse were added to produce a castle with remarkable similarities to the Edwardian castles of Harlech and Caernarvon, and, closer to Grampian, Bothwell, in Strathclyde.
Important early features of the interior include the archers' slits and prison in the Warden's tower (in the NE), the adjacent postern gate and portcullis, the great hall against the N curtain, and the great donjon or Snow Tower (in the NW) which follows early French models. Later refashioning of the tower-house included the Elphinstone tower, a 16th century tower-house at the W end of the hall and the bakehouse complex in the SE.
The castle saw many sieges, notably in 1306 when Sir Nigel Bruce (King Robert's brother) held it against the young Prince Edward of Caernarvon until betrayed by Osbarn the Smith (who was rewarded, it is said, by having the gold he had been promised poured molten down his throat). The castle was restored (most evident in the W curtain), besieged in 1335 by Balliol forces, burnt in 1530, captured by Cromwell in 1654, and became the headquarters of the Earl of Mar's Jacobite rising of 1715, after which it was demolished.
I A G Shepherd 1986.
(Air photographic cover listed: miscellaneous newspaper and additional references cited).
NMRS, MS/712/45.
NJ 454 163 An evaluation of the condition of the stone floor within the basement of the E gatehouse of Kildrummy Castle was undertaken in October 2001. The protective covering had recently been removed, and it was noted that this protection had been insufficient to prevent water and frost damage. The floor is eroded to various degrees across its area. There is little or no erosion around the extreme edges where tool marks are still visible.
Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.
Sponsor: HS
G Ewart and S Coulter 2002.
Type of Site: Defence/ Castle; Tower-House; Chapel
NMRS Number: NJ41NE 4.00
Map reference: NJ 4548 1639
Parish: Kildrummy
Council: Aberdeenshire
Former District: Gordon
Former Region: Grampian
NJ41NE 4.00 45485 16390
NJ41NE 4.01 NJ 4549 1638 Grave-slab
(NJ 455 164) Kildrummy Castle (NR) (In Ruins)
OS 6" map (1902)
Kildrummy Castle - Fully described, illustrated and planned by Simpson.
W D Simpson 1965
Kildrummy Castle as described and illustrated in the MoW pamphlet.
Re-surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 20 September 1968.
One of the few great castles of enclosure to have survived in Scotland from the high point of medieval Europrean castle building, Kildrummy's broken grey walls lie like giant shattered eggshells. Defended to the N by the steep natural den from which the stone for the castle was quarried, and with a broad ditch quarried on the other sides, in plan, Kildrummy is shield-shaped (with the flat top to the N).
It appears that the castle as first constructed in the early 13th century for Alexander II was a plain polygonal enclosure; this phase is represented by the coursed rubble of the E, W and S curtains. In the middle of the century the chapel was constructed, and, to achieve a true E-W axis, was allowed to breach the curtain (in a manner 'that defies rational and learned explanation'). Subsequently, possibly as a result of the visit if Edward I of England in 1296, the towers, the ashlar plinth of the N curtain and the gatehouse were added to produce a castle with remarkable similarities to the Edwardian castles of Harlech and Caernarvon, and, closer to Grampian, Bothwell, in Strathclyde.
Important early features of the interior include the archers' slits and prison in the Warden's tower (in the NE), the adjacent postern gate and portcullis, the great hall against the N curtain, and the great donjon or Snow Tower (in the NW) which follows early French models. Later refashioning of the tower-house included the Elphinstone tower, a 16th century tower-house at the W end of the hall and the bakehouse complex in the SE.
The castle saw many sieges, notably in 1306 when Sir Nigel Bruce (King Robert's brother) held it against the young Prince Edward of Caernarvon until betrayed by Osbarn the Smith (who was rewarded, it is said, by having the gold he had been promised poured molten down his throat). The castle was restored (most evident in the W curtain), besieged in 1335 by Balliol forces, burnt in 1530, captured by Cromwell in 1654, and became the headquarters of the Earl of Mar's Jacobite rising of 1715, after which it was demolished.
I A G Shepherd 1986.
(Air photographic cover listed: miscellaneous newspaper and additional references cited).
NMRS, MS/712/45.
NJ 454 163 An evaluation of the condition of the stone floor within the basement of the E gatehouse of Kildrummy Castle was undertaken in October 2001. The protective covering had recently been removed, and it was noted that this protection had been insufficient to prevent water and frost damage. The floor is eroded to various degrees across its area. There is little or no erosion around the extreme edges where tool marks are still visible.
Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.
Sponsor: HS
G Ewart and S Coulter 2002.
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