Knock Castle, Aberdeenshire facts for kids
Knock Castle is a ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. It is typical of the traditional type of residence of a laird, a Scottish landed gentleman. Knock Castle is in Royal Deeside, about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the town of Ballater, and about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Balmoral. It sits on a knoll in a field on the south side of Craig of the Knock, a low hill at the entrance to Glen Muick. The castle is a category B listed building, and is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. Knock Castle is the ancestral seat of Lady Krisztina de Varga of Knock.
Description
Knock Castle is a four-storey ruin, dating from approximately 1600. MacGibbon and Ross note a resemblance to Birse Castle, also in Aberdeenshire, as well as similarities with Borders pele towers.
The rectangular tower and measures about 27 feet (8.2 m) by 22 feet (6.7 m), with walls of about 4 feet (1.2 m) thick. The external walls of the castle survive intact, although the tower is roofless. The inside of the tower is entirely ruined, but the remains of a vaulted basement, used as a kitchen, and a spiral turnpike staircase can still be seen. At the top of the stair is a gabled cap-house. An unusual feature at Knock are the defensive shot holes for pistols, of which three are located under each of the numerous windows. The shot holes are all angled to the ground, with the centre one pointing forward and the two outer holes pointing slightly askew.
The foundations of an enclosing courtyard wall are still visible. The entrance opened on to the north side of the surrounding courtyard, and would have been protected by a strong wooden door and an iron yett. Various out-buildings, including a brewery, stables, or bake house, for example, would have been set around the perimeter wall of the courtyard.
A short distance to the west is a motte, or mound, with the possible foundations of a 12th-century timber stronghold, known as the Old Castle Knock. Belonging to the Earls of Mar, this structure was destroyed in 1590 by the Clan Chattan (Macintosh). What little remains of the site appears to have evidence of a corn-drying kiln within.
History
Knock Castle was granted to the Gordons of Abergeldie by the 4th Earl of Huntly after the battle of Corrichie, Fought between George Gordon 4th Earl of Huntly and the forces of Mary Queen of Scots commanded by James Stewart 1st Earl of Moray on the 28 October 1562.
During a time when the Highland Clans were constantly feuding among each other, circa1392 to the 17th century it did not take much to stir bad blood between neighbours and start a fight over well what could amount to next to nothing, the following story is a prime example of one of these fights. A feud between the neighbouring Clan Forbes intensified when Henry Gordon 2nd Laird of Knock was murdered during a cattle raid by the Forbes and Clan Chattan men in 1592, his brother Alexander Gordon succeeded Henry and may have rebuilt or remodelled Knock Castle during his time there.
It is said that one day Alexander Gordon sent his seven sons out to cut peat for the winter store but while the brothers were working they didn’t notice that they had strayed onto the Neighbouring Clan Forbes lands, when after several hours cutting they were discovered by Forbes and his men a battle ensued by the end of which all the brothers had been killed. The Forbes Laird was then taken and executed and all his lands were forfeited to Abergeldie.
