Auchmeddan Castle facts for kids

Auchmeddan Castle was an old castle in Scotland. It was built a long time ago, probably in the 1500s. You would have found it about 9 miles west of Fraserburgh, in a place called Mains of Auchmeddan in Aberdeenshire. Sadly, this castle is not there anymore. It was also known as Auchmedden Castle.

What Happened to Auchmeddan Castle?

The castle and its land belonged to the Baird family. They owned it starting in 1568. Later, in the mid-1700s, a different powerful family bought it. These were the Earls of Aberdeen, from the Gordon family. The castle was torn down in the late 1700s. So, it didn't stand for very long after the Gordons took over. In 1858, the land went back to a different branch of the Baird family. Even in 1913, you could still see a small part of the south wall. There were also some scattered stones. But by 1965, everything was gone. The area where the castle once stood was being used for farming.

Where Was Auchmeddan Castle Built?

The castle was built in a special spot. It was on the side of a deep valley, called a ravine. This ravine led down to a small village named Pennan.

The Prophecy of Auchmeddan Castle

There's an old story about Auchmeddan Castle. It involves a famous person from Scottish history named Thomas the Rhymer. He was known for making prophecies, which are like predictions about the future. Thomas supposedly said, "There shall be an eagle in the craig while there is a Bird in Auchmeddan." A "craig" is a rocky cliff. This prophecy meant that as long as the Baird family (whose name sounds like "Bird") owned Auchmeddan, eagles would live on the nearby cliffs. The story says that when the Baird family left the property, a pair of eagles that nested on a cliff near the castle also flew away and never returned.