Glenbuchat Castle

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Glenbuchat Castle

Glenbuchat Castle ( also Glenbucket Castle) is a ruined castle and is situated on a low cliff overlooking the River Don on the banks of the Water of Buchat near the village of Kildrummy, about 30 kilometers west of Aberdeen in Scotland.

History

The castle was built on the occasion of his marriage to his second wife, Helen Carnegie, built in 1590 by John Gordon of Cairn Barrow. The castle should be a visible sign of this marriage. Above the entrance door has a now barely decipherable inscription for this event:

JOHN.GORDONE.HELEN.CARNEGIE.1590 NOTHING.ON.EARTH.REMAINS.BOT.FAIME

The Gordon family were staunch Jacobites. Thus it was that John Erskine, 23rd Earl of Mar lodged in Glenbuchat Castle, when he was at the beginning of the First Jakobitenaufstandes from 1715 on the way from his home in Kildrummy Castle for troops rendezvous at Corgarff Castle.

Glenbuchat Castle remained until 1701 owned by the heirs of the original builder, then it was resold within the Clan Gordon. In 1738 it was acquired by Brigadier General John ' The Old Glenbucket ' Gordon; 1745 but confiscated because of his participation in the Second Jacobite Rising; then in turn sold. However, the following owners are not lived in the castle and let them expire.

In 1901, the castle was acquired by James William Barclay; his grandson, Colonel James Barclay Milne, they appropriated in 1946 in state custody. A local club bought the surrounding land and gave this 1948 also under state supervision, to ensure that the castle and the surrounding area remained intact.

Architecture

Glenbuchat Castle is regarded as exemplary example of the "Z Plan" - castle building of the 16th century. A main building will be extended by two defense towers, its diagonally opposite each other at two corners of the main building. As usual in castles of this time there is only one entrance, which is located in a corner between the main building and a defensive tower. Thus, a potential attacker from the loopholes of two walls can be bombed.

The castle has no roof; to be visited parts of the castle consist of several rooms with vaulted ceilings on the ground floor and a single large room on the first floor.

The brickwork on the upper floors is currently in such bad condition that Glenbuchat Castle is locked until probably spring 2015. ( 06/ 2013)

Both Glenbuchat Castle and the surrounding land are now managed by Historic Scotland.