Alternative Names Castle Of Towie Barclay
Site type CASTLE, TOWER HOUSE
Canmore ID 19196
Site Number NJ74SW 10.00
NGR NJ 74434 43936
Council ABERDEENSHIRE
Parish TURRIFF
Former Region GRAMPIAN
Former District BANFF AND BUCHAN
Former County ABERDEENSHIRE

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Archaeological Notes

Architectural Notes

NJ74SW 10.00 74434 43936

NJ74SW 10.01 74475 43947 Steading

(NJ 74434 43936) Castle of Towie Barclay (NR)
OS 6" map, (1959)

Towie Barclay is a mid-16th century building, which formerly belonged to the old family of Tollie de Berkely. A plaque on the wall bears the date 1593. In 1792, the turrets and embrasures were removed, two stories taken off, and the ditch filled up.
Probably erected or completed in 1593 as shown by the date-stone, but a castle at Towie Barclay is mentioned in 1558 and 1587. One of a group of four contemporary Aberdeenshire castles (Craig, Delgaty, and Gight are the others), almost certainly the work of the same master mason.
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92; W D Simpson 1930.

'Castle of Towie Barclay' is occupied and currently undergoing renovations.
Visited by OS (ISS) 7 February 1965.

Now restored and occupied.
N Tranter 1990.

NMRS REFERENCE

Towie Barclay Castle
Owner: Aberdeen Endowments Trust
Factor: D. E. D. Cromie, A.R.I.C.S.

NMRS NOTES
Dykeside Farm, Towie Barclay Estate.
ARCHITECT: James F. Beattie 1869
Plan NMRS
F.A.M. MacDonald Collection - James F Beattie 1869 - 1 sheet plan, elevation, section of offices.

Bogdan and Bryce, N and I B D (1991) 'Castles, manors and 'town houses' survey', Discovery Excav Scot
Page(s): 27

Bryce and Roberts, I B D and A (1993) 'Post-Reformation Catholic houses of north-east Scotland', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, vol.123
Page(s): 366-7

Coutts, C (1990a) 'An appraisal of the Restoration of certain North East Castles', in Smith, J S North East castles. Castles in the landscape of North East Scotland Aberdeen
Page(s): 88-92

McGibbon, J R (1905) 'Mural paintings recently executed in the Mission Hall, Tron Parish, Edinburgh', Trans Scot Eccles Soc, vol.1, 2
Page(s): Vol. 2, 51-2

Scottish Castle Survey (1988) 'A directory of the owners and occupiers of the castles, manors and 'town houses' {c.1050-c.1707} of Scotland: Grampian Region', Aberdeen
Page(s): 21, no.33/8 Held at RCAHMS B.2.1.CAS

Simpson, W D (1930b) 'Craig Castle and the Kirk of Auchindoir, Aberdeenshire', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, vol.64
Page(s): 84-5

Tranter, N (1990a) 'Towers of strength', Scot Fld, vol.136, 1060 July
Page(s): 43