Abergeldie Castle
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Abergeldie Castle | |
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Crathie and Braemar parish, Aberdeenshire | |
Country | Scotland |
Completed | 1550 |
Abergeldie Castle is a four-floor
It is protected as a category A listed building.[1] The castle was the home of the Baron of Abergeldie.
History
The name derives from the
(Note: attempts have been made to derive the name from Scottish Gaelic, such as "inbhir-gile" ["shining {or bright} confluence"],[2] but while aber and inbhir both mean "confluence" the former is derived from Pictish, a P-Celtic [Brythonic] language which once dominated in Britain, while the latter is derived from Gaelic, a Q-Celtic [Goidelic] language, originating in Ireland. Since Abergeldie is in the heartland of the ancient Pictish realm, and is surrounded by other place names incorporating "aber" [including nearby Aberdeen], it is safe to assume that Pictish is the correct origin of the name.)
A late Bronze Age standing stone, about 6.5 feet high, 2.5 feet wide, and 1.25 feet thick on the lawn of the castle is one indicator of the great antiquity of this site, and its long occupation by man. It also has one of the longest unbroken records of ownership, being in the hands of the Gordon family for 600 years.
It was most likely built around 1550[1] by Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar, son of the first Earl of Huntly, on grounds acquired by the Gordon family in 1482. The interior has been returned to its original state, restored by a descendant of the builder.
During the course of the
It figured again in the 1715 Jacobite Rising, being garrisoned by government troops (having then only recently been renovated by Rachel Gordon, 10th Heiress, and her husband, Captain Charles Gordon, who had also built nearby Birkhall, later sold to the current royal family), and again in the short 1719 Rising, when it was briefly garrisoned by Spanish troops.
In 1848,
After his marriage in 1863,
The Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland
After the accession of King Edward VII in 1901, it was used by his son the Prince of Wales (later
Birkhall remains in the royal family's possession; King Charles III spent time here when he was Duke of Rothesay, together with Queen Camilla.
Abergeldie Castle was last occupied by the 21st Laird, John Seton Howard Gordon (1938–2020), who had lived there since 1972 (the lands having been previously on lease to the royal family's Balmoral Estate, who had their lease on the game lands renewed in the year 2000).
In January 2016, the castle was threatened by rising flood waters from the River Dee, which washed away much of the land behind the building, leaving it on a precipice over the river, thus forcing the 76-year-old Laird to flee. For a time, authorities were uncertain if the castle could be saved if the flooding continued.[6] A few days later, structural engineers were confident that shoring efforts would prevent imminent collapse.[7][8]
Structure
The castle is an imposing building, its oldest part being a turreted square block tower of the "tower house" type, with rectangular-plan tower measuring around 35 by 28 feet (10.7 by 8.5 m), with a round stair tower 15 feet (4.6 m) across at the south-west corner. The walls are 4 feet thick, as was common for the unsettled nature of the times. Tradition suggests that the castle was originally surrounded by a moat, but no trace exists today. In the 18th century, a wing was added to the 16th-century structure.
The estate grounds extend ten miles (16 km) along Deeside, and consist of 11,700 acres (4,700 ha) planted with Scotch pine, larch, and birch, mixed in the private grounds with spruce, ash, plane, and sycamore.
Ghost
The castle is said to be haunted by the spirit of a French serving woman named Catherine (or Kittie) Rankie (or Frankie), also known as French Kate. She was accused of being a witch, and was imprisoned in the cellars before being burned at the stake on nearby Craig-na-Ban (Gaelic Creag-na-Ban – Rock of the Women), which overlooks the castle. Since that time, Kate's ghost has been said to have been seen in the cellars and in the clock tower.
References
- ^ a b c Historic Environment Scotland. "Abergeldie Castle, Iincluding Cottages, Game Larder and Boundary Walls (Category A Listed Building) (LB3005)". Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ a b Macdonald, James (1900). Place Names Of West Aberdeenshire. Aberdeen: University of Aberdeen. p. 32. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
- ^ 'Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical edited by Francis H. Groome, published 1882–1885
- ^ "The King at Cowes". The Times. No. 36833. London. 30 July 1902. p. 8.
- ^ "Toria and sisters". Grand ladies: the Belle Epoque.
- ^ Jessica Elgot (4 January 2016). "Queen's neighbours at historic Scottish castle forced to flee floods". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ^ James Hamilton (6 January 2016). "Abergeldie Castle saved from collapse". The National. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ Simon Johnson: Queen's neighbour's castle 'overhanging 12ft drop to river'. The Daily Telegraph, 5 January 2016
- ^ a b "Abergeldie Castle". CANMORE. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
- ^ "Scotland's specters: Haunted castles, part 1 – Heritage". Scotsman.com. Retrieved 7 May 2012.