Cullen Castle facts for kids

Cullen Castle was an old royal castle located near the town of Cullen in Moray, Scotland. It was about half a mile west of the town, close to the Deskford burn and south of Seatown. Today, only its remains are left, but they are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which means they are important historical sites. You can even visit them! It's good to know that this isn't the same as Cullen House or another castle called Castle of Cullen of Buchan. There's also a different Cullen Castle ruin in Ireland, in County Waterford.

History of Cullen Castle

An important historical event connected to Cullen Castle is the death of Elizabeth de Burgh. She was the wife of Robert the Bruce, a famous Scottish king. She passed away here, though some historians think it might have been at an even older castle on the same spot. The last parts of the castle could still be seen until the 1800s.

What Cullen Castle Looked Like

Experts believe that Cullen Castle, located on a place called Castle Hill, was a type of castle known as a motte-and-bailey. This means it had a large mound (the motte) where the main tower or building stood. This mound was surrounded by a wide ditch and an outer wall or bank (the bailey).

The ditch around the castle was about 6 meters (nearly 20 feet) wide and 1.75 meters (about 5.7 feet) deep. The outer bank was also about 6 meters wide and 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) high. On the north side, a natural landslide has destroyed part of the original structure.

The mound of the motte has many old paths crossing over it. To help protect these paths and stop them from wearing away, some digging and restoration work was done between February and October 2017. During this work, eight small test holes were dug. Seven of these holes helped find the main path. The eighth hole was in an area that wasn't walked on as much, and it didn't find the path. Workers also put in bases for picnic tables and benches, and a new spot for a flagpole. No ancient objects or interesting historical features were found during these digs.

Images for kids

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  "Cullen Castle, Banffshire", Pen and brown ink and grey wash over black chalk on paper, 35.60 x 51.00 cm. (Now in Moray)