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Castle, in residential use, occupying almost the same site as a possible medieval peel, and a horizontal motehill castle of the Bissets, lords of Strathdee, from before 1233. The site was protected by a wide boggy loch formed by the Tarland Burn. In 1242 the Thanage of Aboyne lapsed to the Crown and the estate appears thereafter as a favourite royal residence. It played a locally important part in the Wars of Independence, and in 1307 Edward I sent instructions for its fortifications. No further record exists until mention of the 17th century 'house'. The present building has been so much altered and enlarged in the 18th and 19th century that its original plan cannot be determined, but the northwest portion is the oldest, incorporating a 5-storey circular tower, corbelled to square, and crowned with a classical balustrade. This is presumably part of the 'house' capable of defence, which existed in 1638, and was partially rebuilt in 1671. There have been later alterations and additions, and restoration in the later 19th century. The castle belongs to the Marquis of Huntly whose family have held the property since at least the early 15th century. The property slowly became derelict until the 1970s when the castle was reconstructed, rather than restored, with all later additions being removed, leaving only earlier 17th century parts which were incorporated in the new building. To the north of the castle is a courtyard enclosed by a harled wall with flat coping, and with a round-arched gateway bearing Huntly coat of arms with angle bartizans to the east of the courtyard. Rectangular-plan ancillary structure to northeast of the courtyard, four basket-arched openings with boarded timber doors to ground floor, flanked to left by window, window to centre of first floor, boarded timber door to right of first floor reached by timber walkway. There are three regularly placed windows to left and right returns. Crowstepped gables, grey slate roof and gablehead stacks. Square-plan gatepiers to west of courtyard with coped necks and spherical finials, modern boarded timber 2-leaf gate. Rubble wall with rubble coping to southwest incorporating flat-roofed structure to northwest angle of castle. Rubble boundary wall extends to east of courtyard, incorporating ogee-roofed summerhouse. The castle was used as a convalescent hospital during World War I. A watching brief was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in February 2019 during groundworks outside the west wall. The earliest features recorded were of 19th century date, including two cast iron coal gas pipes connecting under a low brick structure containing an inspection hatch, possible remains of a paved surface, and a section of truncated wall, and a clay drainage pipe. A watching brief was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in November 2019 during groundworks for a new garage. The works revealed the foundations of a 19th century building surrounded by a granite cobble border, believed to have served as the castle laundry. Lead pipes were exposed in the interior of the building adjacent to a granite stand that may have supported a laundry copper. Cast-iron sewer pipes and a decorative granite finial were recovered.
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Historic Environment Records (HER)