Blairfindy Castle facts for kids

Blairfindy Castle is an L-plan tower house, dating from the 16th century, around 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north of Tomintoul, and west of the River Livet. The tower was a hunting seat of the earls of Huntly.

The building is derelict.

History

The first owners of Blairfindy were Grants, but the present castle was built by the Gordons, having been completed by John Gordon in 1564. It was after it passed to another branch of the family in 1586 that it became a hunting-seat for the Huntly earls.

It is close to the site of the Battle of Glenlivet where the Earl of Argyll’s Protestant army was defeated by the much smaller army of the Earl of Huntly and the Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll, in 1594.

Structure

Although the castle is broadly L-plan, its wing project slightly to allow defence of both sides. A corbelled angle turret arose on the other side.

In the re-entrant angle is the arched entrance doorway. Above, for its defence, is a heavily corbelled projection, with machicolations to allow missiles to be dropped, while to the side there is a shot-hole. On a panel above the doorway are the quartered arms of the Gordons, with the date 1586 and the initials I.G. and H.G. A semicircular stair tower rises above the doorway in the re-entrant angle.

It has been argued that on a tower-house of this relatively late date the machicolation was a deliberately archaic addition which gave a war-like appearance to what was essentially a residential building.

The basement is vaulted At the north of the block is the kitchen, which has an oven, a large fireplace, and water drain. To the south of the mural stair up to the hall is a wine-cellar.

The whole of the first floor was used for the Hall, which was clearly a fine room; some panelling and a carved fireplace remain. There were bedrooms above.

There are numerous windows and shot-holes.

It is a category B listed building.