Coull Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coull Castle |
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 Coull Castle
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| Coordinates | 57°06′31″N 2°48′23″W / 57.1087°N 2.8063°W |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Built | 13th century |
Coull Castle was a castle built in the 1200s. It was located south of Coull, Aberdeenshire, in Scotland. Today, only ruins of the castle remain.
Contents
What Was Coull Castle?
Coull Castle was an important building in its time. It stood in a strong position, watching over the northern path to a place called Aboyne. This made it a key spot for defense.
Who Built Coull Castle?
The castle was built by a family known as the Durwards in the 13th century. It became the main stronghold, or strong fortress, for the area known as the barony of O’Neill. A barony was a large piece of land controlled by a powerful lord.
When Did Coull Castle Disappear?
The last time Coull Castle was mentioned as a complete building was in a special document from February 17, 1554. This document was from Queen Mary, who was ruling Scotland at the time. It talked about "the lands of Cowle with their castle and mill."
However, by the early 1600s, the castle was already in ruins. This information comes from the writings of a historian named Sir James Balfour.
Exploring the Castle Ruins
In 1912, the person who owned the land, Dr. Marshall Mackenzie, started digging up the castle ruins. This process is called an excavation. It helps people learn about old buildings by carefully uncovering them.
Later, in 1922, another expert named W. Douglas Simpson continued these excavations.
What Did the Castle Look Like?
From the excavations, we know that Coull Castle had a courtyard shaped like a pentagon. A pentagon is a shape with five sides. The castle also had at least three towers built along its sides.
Today, you can still see very small parts of the castle above the ground. These traces give us clues about where the mighty castle once stood.
