Cluny Crichton Castle

Cluny Crichton Castle
Cluny Crichton Castle
Near Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
	Cluny Crichton Castle
Coordinates	57.088°N 2.519°W
Type	Tower House
Site information
Condition	Ruined
Site history
Built	1666
Built by	George Crichton
Materials	Granite

Cluny Crichton Castle (also known as Clounie Crighton Castle)[1] is a ruined 3-story tower house on the southern slopes of the Hill of Fare in Aberdeenshire, 4 km (2.5 miles) north of Banchory and 6.5 km (4 miles) east of Torphins.

History

In 1572 Robert Crichton of Cluny married Agnes Mowbray (d. 1575), a daughter of the Laird of Barnbougle, her older sisters Barbara and Gilles Mowbray were servants of Mary, Queen of Scots in England. Crichton wrote to his kinsman James Menzies of Weem to send wild fowls and aquavitae (whisky) for the wedding at Barnbougle. He expected his new bride to look after his young daughters from a previous marriage, and was proud of his choice, "she has many good qualities in weaving, sewing and other handicrafts, wherein she may be helpful to your daughters and mine."[2] She died two years later, after having a daughter Agnes Crichton.[3]

The granite castle was built in 1666 in a modified L-plan design. Little is known of the history of the castle. It was built by George Crichton shortly after his marriage to the only daughter of Sir Robert Douglas of Tilquhillie.[4]

Modern day

The castle has since fallen into ruin with some stones being taken for construction of nearby farmsteads.[4] The castle now stands in agricultural land on the Cluny Crichton Farm.[5] It has been listed by Historic Environment Scotland as a Category B listed building and has also been categorised by the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland as at a high level of risk.[6]

References

"Cluny Crichton Castle". Canmore.
HMC 6th Report: Menzeis (London, 1877), p. 697 "for sche hes mony gud qualities in wewing, schewing and uther handie craftis, quherin sche may be helplie to your dochteris and myne."
Agnes Mowbray, National Records of Scotland Hall of Fame
Wyness, J. Fenton (1939). "The Castle of Clounie Crichton, Kincardineshire" (PDF). Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 73: 58–61.
"A Place for all Seasons". Cluny Crichton Farm.
"Cluny Crichton Castle, Raemoir". Buildings at Risk.

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[1] "Cluny Crichton Castle". Canmore.

[2] HMC 6th Report: Menzeis (London, 1877), p. 697 "for sche hes mony gud qualities in wewing, schewing and uther handie craftis, quherin sche may be helplie to your dochteris and myne."

[3] Agnes Mowbray, National Records of Scotland Hall of Fame

[:0-4] Wyness, J. Fenton (1939). "The Castle of Clounie Crichton, Kincardineshire" (PDF). Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 73: 58–61.

[5] "A Place for all Seasons". Cluny Crichton Farm.

[6] "Cluny Crichton Castle, Raemoir". Buildings at Risk.