Dundarg Castle facts for kids
Dundarg Castle is an old castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It's about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) north of New Aberdour. The castle was built on top of an even older Iron Age fort. This fort was on a piece of land sticking out into the sea. A historian named W. Douglas Simpson called it one of the "nine castles of the Knuckle." This name refers to the rocky coastline of northeast Aberdeenshire.
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What is Dundarg Castle?
Its Location and Name
Dundarg Castle sits on a special piece of land. It's a triangle-shaped area with steep slopes all around. This land connects to a long, flat-topped cliff that goes out into the sea. The cliffs around it are about 20 meters (66 feet) high. They are made of red sandstone.
The name "Dundarg" comes from the Gaelic words dun dearg. This means "red fort" or "red castle." It got its name because of the red sandstone cliffs it sits on.
A Look at Dundarg Castle's History
Early Beginnings
Records from the 6th century, found in the Book of Deer, mention a fortified place at Aberdour. This shows that people used this strong location a very long time ago.
Building and Destroying the Castle
The castle you see today was first built in the 1200s. The powerful Comyn family built it. But it was taken apart, probably by Robert the Bruce, in 1308.
The castle was rebuilt in 1334 by Henry de Beaumont. However, it was destroyed again almost right away. This happened after a famous siege led by Sir Andrew Moray.
What Excavations Showed
Archaeologists dug up the site in 1911-12 and again in 1950-51. These digs confirmed that the castle was destroyed twice. They found many objects from the Middle Ages during these excavations.
What's Left Today
The main part of the castle that still stands is the inner gatehouse. It's about 5.5 meters (18 feet) tall. The top part of the gatehouse was rebuilt around the mid-1500s. This was likely done to help defend the coast. There's also some proof that it had holes for guns at that time. The castle was finally left empty in the mid-1600s.
The Modern House
A house was built on part of the old castle site in 1938. It's believed that Wing Commander David Vaughan Carnegie built it for himself. He used stones from the old Aberdour Free Church to build it.
Protecting the Site
Today, both the castle ruins and the old fort are protected. They are known as a scheduled monument. This means they are important historical sites. The modern house on the site is also a special building. It is a category B listed building.
