Findlater Castle

Cliff coastline with the ruins of Findlater Castle

Findlater Castle is a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire near the Scottish village Sandend between the towns of Cullen and Portsoy. The still visible ruins of the former fortress dating back to a reconstruction in the year 1455th

Geography

The ruin is situated on the northern coast of Aberdeenshire's on the Moray Firth on a 15 meters high cliff that is surrounded by a precipitous cliff coast that rises in places up to 27 m high. The cliff is a little early to be entered via a steep, irregular shaped land bridge that is broken in two places. These gaps were formerly surmounted by a bridge. Because of this difficulty of access, the fortress could be entered only on foot. On the mainland, therefore, there was an associated forecourt.

The main building of the fort was built in the west side of the rock, so that the main level is flush with the top of the rock. The walls of this level but are now almost completely eroded. Among them are two more levels arched building structure, which is still partly preserved.

The rocks surrounding mountains much quartz. The name of the fortress " Findlater " is derived from the Old Norse words fyn "white" and leitr "Cliff " from.

History

Today's ruins, the remains of Walter Ogilvy of Levin Also in 1455 rebuilt and restructured fortress represents the permission for reinforcement and securing of the building he had received from King James II. Around 1560 around were possessions of the Ogilvy family at the Gordon family, creating a bitter feud between the two families has been triggered. Alexander Ogilvy disinherited his son and took his place Sir John Gordon, the third son of the Earl of Huntly, before.

The Gordons rebelled in 1562 against the Crown, Findlater Castle was held against the troops of Mary Stuart. However, the rebellion was short-lived: on October 28, 1562 Gordons were defeated at the Battle of Corrichie. George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly died on the battlefield, Sir John was put in prison and three days later, beheaded in Aberdeen in the presence of the queen and her half-brother, the Earl of Moray.

Findlater Castle fell into the possession of the Ogilvy family, but the mid-16th century, was abandoned in favor of a new residence in Cullen.

Source

• Issued Locally poster with a short historical overview