Knock Castle, Aberdeenshire facts for kids
Knock Castle is an old, ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. It was a typical home for a Scottish gentleman known as a laird. Knock Castle is located in Royal Deeside, about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Ballater. It's also about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of the famous Balmoral. The castle sits on a small hill in a field, near a larger hill called Craig of the Knock. Today, Knock Castle is a special historic building, cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. It is also the ancestral home of Lady Krisztina de Varga of Knock.
What Does Knock Castle Look Like?
Knock Castle is a four-story ruin that was built around the year 1600. It looks a bit like other old castles in Scotland, including some "pele towers" found near the Borders.
The castle is a rectangular tower, measuring about 27 feet (8.2 m) long and 22 feet (6.7 m) wide. Its walls are very thick, about 4 feet (1.2 m)! The outside walls of the castle are still standing, but it no longer has a roof. Inside, most of the rooms are ruined. However, you can still see where the kitchen used to be in the basement, which had a special arched ceiling. There's also a spiral staircase that goes up the tower. At the very top of the stairs, there's a small, gabled building called a cap-house.
An interesting feature at Knock Castle is its "shot holes." These are small openings designed for pistols. There are three of these holes under each window. They are all angled towards the ground, with the middle one pointing straight ahead and the other two pointing slightly to the sides. This design helped defenders protect the castle from attackers below.
You can also see the old foundations of a wall that once surrounded the castle, creating a courtyard. The main entrance to this courtyard was on the north side. It would have been protected by a strong wooden door and a special iron gate called a yett. Around this courtyard, there would have been other buildings, like a place to brew drinks, stables for horses, or a bake house for making bread.
A short distance to the west of Knock Castle, there is a mound of earth called a motte. This mound might have been the site of an even older wooden castle from the 12th century, known as the Old Castle Knock. This earlier castle belonged to the Earls of Mar. It was destroyed in 1590 by a group called the Clan Chattan. Today, only a few remains can be seen, including what looks like a kiln for drying corn.
Knock Castle's Story: A Look Back in Time
Knock Castle was given to the Gordon family of Abergeldie. This happened after a battle called Corrichie, which took place on October 28, 1562. The battle was fought between George Gordon, the 4th Earl of Huntly, and the forces of Mary Queen of Scots, led by James Stewart, the 1st Earl of Moray.
Long ago, from around 1392 to the 17th century, the Highland Clans in Scotland often had arguments and fights. Sometimes, even small disagreements could lead to big battles between neighbors. The story of Knock Castle shows how easily these feuds could start.
A big argument grew between the Gordon family and their neighbors, Clan Forbes. This argument became very serious when Henry Gordon, the second Laird of Knock, was killed in 1592. He was murdered during a cattle raid by men from Clan Forbes and Clan Chattan. After Henry's death, his brother Alexander Gordon became the new Laird of Knock. Alexander might have rebuilt or made changes to Knock Castle during his time there.
One day, the story goes, Alexander Gordon sent his seven sons to cut peat, which was used for fuel in winter. While the brothers were working, they accidentally went onto the land of Clan Forbes. After several hours of cutting peat, Forbes and his men discovered them. A fight broke out, and sadly, all seven Gordon brothers were killed. In return, the Forbes Laird was captured and executed, and all his lands were taken over by the Abergeldie family.
