Castles · Scottish Highlands
Dundarg Castle
Dundarg Castle — castle and promontory fort in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Dundarg Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Part of The Nine Castles of Knuckle. Wikidata describes it as: "castle and promontory fort in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 57.6733°, -2.1780°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Dundarg Castle is a ruined castle about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north-northeast of New Aberdour, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, built within the ramparts of an earlier Iron Age promontory fort. It was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of North-East Aberdeenshire, and by Charles McKean as "Scotland's answer to Tintagel". It became a small Celtic monastery for a period.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Dundarg Castle is a ruined castle about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north-northeast of New Aberdour, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, built within the ramparts of an earlier Iron Age promontory fort. It was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of North-East Aberdeenshire, and by Charles McKean as "Scotland's answer to Tintagel". It became a small Celtic monastery for a period.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The 10th-century Book of Deer records the existence of a cathair or fortified place at Aberdour. It was built in the 13th century by the Comyn family, but was dismantled, probably by Robert the Bruce, in 1308. It was rebuilt in 1334 by Alice Comyn, Countess of Buchan and her husband Henry de Beaumont, but slighted almost immediately, after a famous siege by Sir Andrew Moray. Many medieval objects providing evidence of this double destruction were found in excavations in 1911-12 and 1950-51, led by W. Douglas Simpson. The only substantial part of the castle remaining is the inner gatehouse, which survives to a height of about 18 ft. The upper part was rebuilt in the middle of the 16th…
Architecture
The site consists of a triangle of gently sloping ground flanked by steep slopes on all sides, linked to a flat-topped elongated promontory extending to the north-east, surrounded by 20 m high sandstone cliffs. Its name comes from the Gaelic dun dearg, meaning red fort or castle, referring to the colour of the sandstone.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 57.6733, -2.1780
- District
- Aberdeenshire
- Postcode
- AB43 6HP
- Parliamentary constituency
- Aberdeenshire North and Moray East
Sources
- wikidata: Q2969168 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Dundarg Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Dundarg Castle - geograph.org.uk - 8138565.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Dundarg Castle?
- Dundarg Castle is in the Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (postcode AB43 6HP).
- Is Dundarg Castle a listed building?
- Dundarg Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Does Dundarg Castle charge admission?
- Dundarg Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Dundarg Castle?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode AB43 6HP. It sits within the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East parliamentary constituency.