Aberdeenshire HER - NJ31SE0004 - GLENBUCHAT CASTLE

Main Details

Primary ReferenceNJ31SE0004
NameGLENBUCHAT CASTLE
NMRS Card No.NJ31SE4
NMRS Numlink16780
Site Form Standing Structure
Site Condition Incomplete
Details Remains of Z-plan castle, built in 1590 by John Gordon and Helen Carnegie whose initials can be seen on the door lintel. The castle has square towers in northeast and southwest, square and circular angle turrets, turnpike stairs in the north and re-entrant angles on trompe arches. The first floor of the main block contains the great hall, with laird's chamber in the north east tower. Extensive alterations included the partitioning of the hall and the reworking of the upper floors. There was formerly a courtyard to the south. It was sold by the last Gordon of Glenbuchat to the Duff family in 1738. The walled garden to the south east (NJ31SE0175) is probably at least partially the original castle garden, although is early 19th century in its current form. Nine masons' marks have been recorded at the castle, representing five different masons.
Last Update31/05/2022

National Grid Reference: NJ 3972 1490


Easting: 396930, Northing: 819630

Compiler 
Date of Compilation 

Event Details


Excavations and Surveys


Artefact and Ecofact


Ecofact

Samples 
Palynology 
Ecofact Notes 

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
MASON-MARKS  J100
CASTLES Z-PLANA100
TOWERSSQUARE B100
TURRETSANGLE C100
STAIRCASESTURNPIKE D100
ARCHES TROMPEE100
GABLES CROW-STEPPEDF100
GUARD-ROOMS  G100
LINTELS DATEDH100
GUN-LOOPS  I100

Google Map for NJ31SE0004


National Status

National Status
Guardianship Monument (HBM)
Scheduled (under AM + Arch Area Act 1979)

Regional Status


Photo Details

SourceReferencePhoto TypeFilm TypeDate
GRAEC 1-8 Ground Black & White 12/04/1985
GRAEB 24-37 Ground Black & White 12/04/1985
AASAAS/83/01/R1/15 Air-oblique Black & White 01/06/1983
AASAAS/96/13/G35/22-3 Air-oblique Black & White 13/08/1996
AASAAS/96/13/CT32-34 Air-oblique Colour Transparency 13/08/1996
AASGR-DG0381-0421 Ground 30/08/2006
AASAAS/07/1/CT17-23 Air-oblique Colour Transparency 04/09/2007
AASAAS-GR-15-10-003 Ground Digital 15/10/2015
AASAAS/GR/88/CT194-196 Ground Colour Transparency 01/01/1988
GRAHV 27-34 Ground Black & White 18/09/1988

Bibliographic Detail

Bib Ref NoTitleAuthorDateOthersEditorPublishedDetailsDate MDate Y
02265BUILDINGS OF ARCHITECTURAL & HISTORICAL INTEREST     GLENBUCHAT 4  
01488KILDRUMMY & GLENBUCHAT CASTLES     BOOKLET  
00296SCOTTISH CASTLESH CRUDEN1960   151,173,222  
02365FORTIFIED HOUSE IN SCOT VOL 4N TRANTER1970  EDINBURGHVOL 4(1977)49-51  
02084THE BOOK OF GLENBUCHATWD SIMPSON1942  ABERDEEN   
00705DRAWINGS OF ABERDEEN CASTLESJ GILES1936YYABERDEEN   
00722GRAMPIAN: THE CASTLE COUNTRY (2ND ED)C GRAHAM1981  Aberdeen11-12 1981
02157JAMES GILES - ABERDEENSHIRE CASTLES 1990   p.12 1990
07114A SELECTION OF THE CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE 0   pp.12-13 0
09298ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED)I SHEPHERD1996  Edinburgh/HMSOp. 101-2 1996
01307CASTELLATED ARCHITECTURE OF ABERDEENSHIREA LEITH-HAY1849  ABERDEENpp.10-12 1849

Location

Historic Administrative Area Name Glenbuchat
Positional Accuracy Centred at
Buffer Zone 15-20m
Buffer Type Bespoke
Capture Scale Unknown
Spatial Feature Type Polygon: Unknown Extent

Environment

Constraints A public monument, regular hours (entry fee).
Altitude270
Geology 
Topography Shoulder
Aspect 1E
Aspect 2 Open
Current Land Use Ancient Monument
Vegetation
Soil Type 
Hydrology 

Measurements

Plan 
Shape 1 Z-Plan
Shape 2 Solid
Diameter 
Length 
Width 
Thickness 
Depth 
Area 
Height 

Historic Land Use


Period Details

PeriodOrderProbabilityRadiocarbon DatesDate BuiltDate of DestructionDate of Loss
Post-Medieval (from 1560 AD) A100 1904  

Period Notes

Period Notes Built 1590, sold 1783.

Architect Details

Architect Details

Maritime Archaeology

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