Fetteresso Castle facts for kids
Fetteresso Castle is an old building near Stonehaven in Scotland. It started as a strong tower house in the 1300s. Later, in 1761, it was rebuilt into a grand home with a Scottish Gothic style. People have lived on this spot for a very long time, even before recorded history. Other famous castles nearby include Dunnottar Castle and Muchalls Castle.
Ancient Times
Long ago, people lived around Fetteresso Castle. We know this from marks on the ground called "cropmarks." These marks show where old structures once stood. One mark suggests a "ring-ditch" and a "cursus." A cursus was a set of long, parallel lines built in prehistoric times. We don't know exactly why they were made, but some think they were for ancient games or hunting.
In 1822, a stone mound called a cairn was found near the castle. Inside were human bones. The way it was built, using rough stones, shows it was a burial site from the Bronze Age. This was thousands of years ago! There's a legend that says King Malcolm I was buried here after he died in 954 AD. This spot is even called Malcolm's Mount. However, experts now think the burial site is much older than King Malcolm's time.
Later, in 1998, a special pot called an urn was found at Fetteresso. It belonged to the Beaker people, who lived around 4,500 years ago. A few miles away, there's also a Roman Camp called Raedykes. A whole Roman army stayed there long ago. Many old Roman items have been found at this site.
Medieval History
Records show that the Strachan family once owned the Fetteresso area. During a time of conflict, Robert the Bruce fought against other powerful families for the Scottish throne. He even burned down Castlehill of Strachan.
Around 1316, Robert the Bruce took the land from the Strachan family. He then gave it to Sir Alexander Fraser. Later, in the 1300s, the land passed to William Keith. He was the Earl Marischal of Scotland. The Earls Marischal were very important noblemen. They built the strong tower house at Fetteresso. They also owned the famous Dunnottar Castle nearby.
Changes Over Time
In the 1600s and 1700s, Fetteresso Castle got some new features. These included "crow-stepped gables," which are stair-shaped roof edges. It also had "crenellations," which are the battlements on top of castle walls. A tall building for doves, called a dovecote, was built south of the castle.
A sad event happened in 1659. A woman named Jean Hunter, who lived at Fetteresso, was accused of witchcraft and lost her life at her home.
An artist named Alexander Charles worked at Fetteresso in the late 1600s. He oversaw projects and even published his drawings. Towards the end of the 1600s, the Duff family took over Fetteresso. They made the castle bigger, adding more parts around the old tower house.
Recent History
In the 1940s, Maurice and Geraldine Simpson owned the castle. Geraldine was from the family that owned Pringle knitwear, a famous clothing company. The Simpsons later moved to Muchalls Castle.
After the Simpsons left Fetteresso, the castle's roof was missing for some time, starting around 1954. A local landowner bought the castle. He then left it to the Don family in his will. In the late 1900s, Fetteresso Castle was restored. It was changed a lot and divided into seven separate homes. This is how it is used today.
