Site type CASTLE
Canmore ID 17846
Site Number NJ54NW 3
NGR NJ 53600 46609
Council ABERDEENSHIRE
Parish HUNTLY
Former Region GRAMPIAN
Former District GORDON
Former County ABERDEENSHIRE

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Recording Your Heritage Online

Avochie, 16th/early 17th century. Small rectangular mansion, now much depleted, with only east and west gables
surviving. Had corbelled angle turret at southeast. Adjacent is Avochie House, pleasingly baronial, close by the river.

Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

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Archaeological Notes

NJ54NW 3 53600 46609

(NJ 5360 4661) Avochie Castle (NR) (Remains of)
OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 2nd ed., (1902)

(NJ 5360 4660) Avochie Castle (NR) (Remains of).
The name is printed to a building approximately 11.0m by 6.0m which was no longer in existence during revision of second edition above.
OS 25" map, Aberdeenshire, (1871)

'All that remains of this very old structure is two gables of no great height and from their appearance the building seems to have possessed no architectural beauty.
It has scarcely a claim to be the title of "Castle" as it was only a small quadrangular building of scarcely two stories. The masonary that remains though rough, is very strong. The wall an ordinary thickness.
It is supposed to have been built early in the 16th century, and was inhabited as late as 1745 being then in ruins.
The two gables serve for walls to an outhouse which is built between them. It is on the estate of Avochie and was at one time used as the residence of the proprietor. It is now the property of Adam Hay Gordon, Esq Avochie.'
Name Book 1871.

There is no evidence of a 'castle' here, except for the ruins of a very old house of uncertain period.
Visited by OS (EGC) 7 February 1964.

The E gable wall of the building still stands to full height and the W gable, which is more ruinous, stands to just below chimney height. The window openings in both gables suggest that it was two storeys high with a loft, with first floor dormers on the S face. The N wall stands up to 1.7m high, but the S wall is reduced to low stone footings. Some of the fallen stone has been retained around the building.

There are the remains of bartizans (overhanging, wall-mounted turrets) on the NW and SE corners of the building. The SE corner may have had a wheel stair. The stone on the left of the fireplace (W wall) is incised with an inscription similar to that at the other Gordon of Avochie castle, Auchanachie, which lies two miles to the W (NJ44NE 1.00).

John Gordon of Avochie was a notable Jacobite and hid for a time in the castle after Culloden - he escaped capture at one stage by jumping out of a window. The house was apparently blown up by government troops.

Historical source: Memoirs of the Rebellion 1745–1746 by The Chevalier de Johnstone [aide de camps to Lord George Murray] (London: 1820) Translated from a French manuscript.
Information from SRP Rothiemay, May 2011.

Notes and Activities

July 2008 to July 2008

FIELD VISIT

Project Scotland's Rural Past (SRP)

Notes Measured and photographic survey.

Further details

10 May 2011

SRP NOTE

Project Scotland's Rural Past (SRP)

Notes The E gable wall of the building still stands to full height and the W gable, which is more ruinous, stands to just below chimney height. The window openings in both gables suggest that it was two storeys high with a loft, with first floor dormers on the S face. The N wall stands up to 1.7m high, but the S wall is reduced to low stone footings. Some of the fallen stone has been retained around the building.

There are the remains of bartizans (overhanging, wall-mounted turrets) on the NW and SE corners of the building. The SE corner may have had a wheel stair. The stone on the left of the fireplace (W wall) is incised with an inscription similar to that at the other Gordon of Avochie castle, Auchanachie, which lies two miles to the W (NJ44NE 1.00).

John Gordon of Avochie was a notable Jacobite and hid for a time in the castle after Culloden - he escaped capture at one stage by jumping out of a window. The house was apparently blown up by government troops.

Historical source: Memoirs of the Rebellion 1745–1746 by The Chevalier de Johnstone [aide de camps to Lord George Murray] (London: 1820) Translated from a French manuscript.
Information from SRP Rothiemay, May 2011.


Further details

Books and References

Bogdan and Bryce, N and I B D (1991) 'Castles, manors and 'town houses' survey', Discovery Excav Scot
Page(s): 29

Coventry, M (2001) The castles of Scotland Musselburgh
Page(s): 66 Held at RCAHMS F.5.2.COV

Ordnance Survey (Name Book) Object Name Books of the Ordnance Survey (6 inch and 1/2500 scale)
Page(s): Book No. 40, 11-12 Held at RCAHMS Ref

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