134 .PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 1922Y13 .

III. THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF CASTLE. BY W. DOUGLAS SIMPSON, M.A., F.S.A.Scor. Huntly, or Strathbogie Castle, situated in the angle formed by the confluenc e Bogith f eo e wit e Deveronhth a shor, t distance northward from the town of Huntly, ranks among the noblest old bai-onial ruins in Scotland. In former times it was celebrated far and wide as '' a full fayre house" —"the best furnished of any house I haue seen in the country"—t e wordn Englisa th f e o sus oh ambassado n 1562.- i r Re 1 peatedly injured during the civil broils of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries, the castle, phoenix-like, rose each time from its ruins in greater splendour than before. Under the first reigne th Charled Jamef n i s,o an . sVI s I. t reache,i summie dth t politicas oit f l consequenc architecturad ean l residence glorth s e ya th f eo "North,e Coc th greae ' ko chiee th "th f to fGordo e th n n i family t Bu . downfal Gordone th f o l s durinfortunee th e castlCivie r th gth f elo Wa s were involved. During the vicissitudes of the struggle it suffered plunder and defacement; and, after the execution of the second Marquess in 1649, it ceased to be regularly occupied as the messuage of the family, thereafted an s deca it rapids r ywa . As might be expected in a building with so long and stormy a record, the existing ruins bear the mark of several periods. Hence the archi- tectural history of the castle is somewhat complex. Though sufficiently paten o instructet t d observation s beeha n t i ,misunderstoo e th y b d majorit f writerso y . Mos f theso t e ^misle e frequenth y db t references totao t l demolishings, " razing, "d cassinan " g down," e indulgeth y b n di old chroniclers—have assumed that on each occasion little was left of the former structure, and that afterwards the castle was rebuilt practically from its foundations. The chief feature in is the great oblong keep (fig. 1), about 76 feet in length and 36 in breadth ; having a large round tower, 38 fee n diameter,i t attache s south-wesit o dt t corner, and, diagonally opposite to this, another tower, also round but far smaller and slighter. As it now stands, the keep thus falls into the Z-class, but the smaller round tower is a late addition, has extremely thin walls, lacks shotholes, and is altogether inadequate to perform the flanking defence which is the raison d'etre of the three-stepped plan. The keep cannot, therefore, be deemed a true example of this class; and to place it in this category is wholly to ignore the main structural features of the building, which 1 Historical MSS. Commission, 1st Report, . 114p . HUNTLY CASTLE PLANS OF KEEP

W. Douglas Simf>son ,

. HuntlFig1 . y Castle: Plan f Basemento s , Ground Floor Firsd an , t Floo f Keepro . 186 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 13, 1922.

betoke antiquitn na y higher tha latee nth r sixteenth century, whee nth Z-plan of castle flourished. The kee fous pi r storey basemene th st a high walls d it tmore an , sar e than 8 feet thick. The basement is a souterrain, and is barrel-vaulted throughout e maith nn I buildin. t containi g s three large, dark cellars, wit hcorridoa r along their north face, enterin descendiny gb g stept sa the east end. From the opposite end of this corridor a narrow mural passage e thicknesirth ie westh f t o swal l gives acces a terribl o t s e dungeo greae th n ti round tower t botA .h end murae sth l passags eha

Fig . Hunti2 . y f CastleLono d g En Corrido: basementn i r . [Photo W. Norrie. been defende dooa y "r d b ryett.o dungeon e Th " fee9 diamete1 ,n i t d ran 15 feet 7 inches in height to the apex of its octagonal vault, has been aired rather than lit by a loophole rising through the vault on the east side, but now built up inside. The door from the mural passage opens at springine th vaulte th f gfeeo ,7 t abov e flooreth . Altogethere thion s si of the worst examples of a feudal prison or "pit" in Scotland. The cellars in the main building are entered through doorways whose upper ends terminate in three sides of a hexagon (fig. 2), wrought with a plain chamfer, which is continued down the jambs. The long corridor was lit by a window at the west end, which has been built up, but still retains part of its ancient iron " grille." As usual, the mode of intersection of bare th reverses si oppositn di e quarters. This basemen plainls ti y much older tha e uppenth r keepe floorth f .o s The ground floor proper is at present entered by a service door in the E ARCHITECTURATH L HISTOR F HUNTLYO Y CASTLE7 13 . north walle mai Th e smaln. th entrancen li norths i buil w , no up ,-t eastern tower, 15 feet 7 inches in diameter, which contained the grand stair to the upper floors. This tower with its door and stair are late insertions, but the arrangement of the plan on this floor, and the steps down to the underground vaults, indicate that the main entrance has always bee thin i n s quarter. Lik e basementth e , this ground floos i r e vaultedmaith nn I buildin. a kitchen s i ge usua th , n li fitte p u d manner, wit hcellaa eithen ro large rth side ed rounan ; d tower contains a good bedroom. Each of the two cellars has a fireplace, and the west on a egarderobe . These features prove thae cellarth t s have been remodelled as living rooms, doubtless when additional storage was provide e extensioth y b d f officeo n s roun e courtyardth d . Froe mth bedroo e south-westh n mi t towe o newetw r l stair e suppe th lea o t dr floors. Though still vaulted and of massive structure, these rooms on the ground floor contrast strongly with the ancient basement, and their domestic arrangements bespeak the advanced requirements of e sixteentth h century. It has been already stated that the main stair of the keep, in its latest e smalth n i forml s rounwa , d e north-eastoweth t a r t angle. This stair destroyedw uppee no th s i d rkee e flooran , reachee th par f o s t presenda t only by the two mural stairs in the south-west tower. One of these stair carrie s si summi e towere th th o df t o t, whil othee eth r reachee sth first floor onlyn thiO s. flooe greath r t hall, wit a hdrawing-roo m adjoining, occupies the main house, and there is a bedroom in the south- west tower. Originally the whole area in the main house was one large apartment; the thin partition is an obvious insertion, being set obliquely, whil elarga e Avindo e nortth n hwi wals beeha l n divided portioe on , n lighting each room; and the partition engages with the inserted masonry botn O h. side f thiso s partition hale levee th l th f ceilingt o la , , are fragments of a fine seventeenth-century cornice in stucco (fig. 3). The hall measures 37 feet by 25, and the drawing-room 25 by 20. The bedroom towee inth r contain remarkablo tw s e squints fro e adjoininmth g newel stair. One commands the door and the other the fireplace, so that these spy-holes were doubtless insertee conveniencth r dfo attendann a f o e t occupying the bedroom made out of the cellar below. All the rooms on this floor are well finished, the quoins and depressed rear-arches of their large bay-windows being beautifully wrought, "with half-engaged rolls set on a broad chamfer. The remaining floor, over these apartments s situatewa , d partln yi the roof t containeI . additionan da l stateroom ovehalle th r , a private apartment over the drawing-room, and a bedroom in the tower, which, being carrie a store p u d y higher tha e mainth n house, contains thus 8 PROCEEDING13 E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR, Y13

additionan a woodee th ll roomal ns floorA . s have perished roome th , s above the hall level are now quite empty and inaccessible. The upper portions of the keep differ greatly from the solid massive- ness and unadorned severity of its basement. On the south front the wall-head finishes in an exquisite composition of ornamental parapets, graceful oriels, cornices, turrets d sculpturean , d chimneys (fig which) 4 . , even ruined as it is, remains unsurpassed in Scotland—"one of the most charming," it has justly been said, "of the architectural relics left to

us." The oriel windows in particular afford a noble specimen of early 1

Fig. . Hunfcl3 y Castle: Plaster Wor partition ko n wall. [Photo H.M. Office of Works. Renaissance work. Thre thef eo m stan t boldldou y fro maie mth n front of the keep; a fourth, more highly ornate in its bracketing than the others, seems almos o cling—st t o cunningl t i contrived—t s i y e th o swelling face of the great round tower. Between the oriels on the keep are tall, oblong windows, one of which is a dummy. The mullion of this windo wroughws i thistlo tw s eta heads. Over this dumm ytalla , slender chimney carries another mock window, surmounted by a pediment having a defaced shield with the heraldic bearings of the first Marquess. pedimene e apeOth th nf xo wastea s i t d sculpture, shown'by Billings a crowne s a d female bust, perhap a portrais f Princeso t s Annf o e Denmark, Quee f Jameo n se south-wes "VITh . t towe s cappei r a y db very massive and bold corbelled cornice of exceedingly rich design supporting the parapet, within which, from the rear-wall, rise tall coped 1 Castles of , p. 76. THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY" OF HUNTLY CASTLE. 139

chimneys1 and fine pedimented dormer windows, one of which has on the tympanu mcrownea d female bustparapee feeTh 5 .6 t s i tabov e ground on the south front. Over the stairhead is formed a pentagonal cape- house or lookout, with small windows on all fronts. The roundway is paved in the ancient manner, with alternating ridge stones and gutters drained by cannon-shaped gargoyles. The two end gables of

Fig. 4. Huntly Castle: South Front. [Photo H.M. Office of Works. e maith n hous e corbie-steppedar e e south-westh n O . t spur stone ear e initiale fourtth th f o sh Earl, George Gordons wifehi ,d Elizabetan , h Keith 1553 ,Huntldater e O witfo th , thih,d AN H yan s last having become much weathered in recent years. The north-west spur stone has the initial, entwineG. . G s de south-eas th wit n o ha knot d tan ; spur stone e armth f Gordo o se ar n impaled with thos f Keiteo h Marischal. Right across the whole south front, at the top and base of the windows, run doublsa e ban inscriptiof do raisen ni d letter inche0 s2 s high: 1 The largest chimney, facing the front, is keeled to accommodate with the rotundity of the tower. 140 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 13,

"GEORG E• [GOJRDOV N• FIRS T• MARQVflJ • HV[NTLI F O • S ] 16 E• HENRIETTE • STEVART • MARQVESSE • OF • HV[NTLIE • 02]." > This inscription is beautifully wrought in plain Roman characters, the words separate mulletsy db eacn O h. ban dcarvea d hand pointe th o st inscription. In.the eacf centro hy eorielba , abov e loweeth r inscription, monograe isth e eacMarquesn o th wifes hf d hi m o latera an d , an sy lba e westh are tn i ,oriel boar'a , s centrae headth n i ; l oriel fleur-de-lis;a , in the east oriel, a rosette. There are remains of a similar ornamenta- uppee tioth n nre south-easo stageth t A . t cornee kee bees th pf ha n o r a rectangular corbelled turret, along the shoulder of which the great ihscri ptiori returned; and the fall of this turret has truncated the legend. An inscription in smaller letters was carried round the other faces of the turret; the letters Q and T survive .on the south and east faces respectively.2 All these 'ornamental portions are built in the local red freestone, pleasinn i g contras rubble th f o surfacet o t e boulders which composes the rest of the keep. Along the whole front, and round the tower, runs a bold offset at a height of about 10 feet, approximately level with the ground on the opposite or courtyard side, and marking the positioe vaulteth f o nd roo fe souterrain.th of This offset plainly indicates a stage in the construction of the building—the work above being, as its interior characteristics show; of a more recent date. The inne r northero r ne kee fronth s lespf i o ts ornamented. Never- theless, it exhibits a couple of string courses near the wall-head,3 and above these the moulded sills of dormers: two tall chimneys are intaken nea e bascoupla th rn ei f shoro e t e centrstagesth f thin I o e .s wall, on the lower string course, is the coat of arms of the first Marquess and grane s wifehi Th d.e north-eas staith n i r t tower e emptth , y welf o l whic fee0 diameter1 n i t s hi , stoppe wall-heae th t maie da th nf do house. Above this the tower was enlarged by corbelling into a square capehouse with two storeys of living-rooms, served by a newel stair in a corbelled e re-entranturreth t a t t betwee e capehous e nortth nth hd walan e l e keepoth f . When complet whole eth e building must have been a most imposing and magnificent structure, combining remarkably the characteristics of massive militazy strength with lightnes d elegancean s e extraTh . - ordinary skill with whic soute hth h fron manages i t d reflect highese sth t architecte credie mosth th h t to remarkablYe . e piec f ornameneo s i t

not this south front, but the noble doorway (fig. 5) in the staircase tower lettere Th 1 bracketn si s have fallen. * Castles of Aberdeenshire,. 76 . p uppee Th thesf ro e string courses appear gable-endse s th als n continueos o i d an , d roune dth south-wes3 t tower. E ARCHITECTURATH L HISTOR F HUNTLYO Y CASTLE1 14 . north-ease th t a t corner indees i t I .d difficul conveo t t mery yb e descrip- tion an adequate idea of the peculiar beauty of this unique design. The doorway itself is straight lintelled, with a most elaborate suite of Renaissance mouldings—the jambs being worked up into a series of shallow rolls and hollows, separated by fillets, while the lintel, resting on narrow classical pilasters with intermediate caps, has grotesque animals and heraldic ornament, scarcely now distinguishable.1 At this level a string course binds the tower. On the lintel rests an oblong panel, risinthird-flooe th o gt r leve standind an l stiltea n go d base which enclose a savins glintee arcth o lht beneath panee Th s flanke.i l y b d moulded shafts e capitalth , f whico s h have supported sculptured figures in niches that remain. An eagle is shown by Billings in one of these niches. Between them the panel terminates in an ogee arch, the point carryin gbrackea thira r dfo t statuette, withou wastenichea tw No .d almost to nothing, this statuette represented St Michael triumphing over e dragon—thth e e firsfatheth tf o Marquesr s having been createdn i , 1545, a Knight of the French Order of St Michael.2 At the level of the capitals of the flanking shafts a second string course encircles the tower. Within the ogee arch is a circular plaque with escalloped border: it con- taine drepresentatioa r Lord'Ou f sno Passion, whic chiselles hwa d away by a Covenanting officer during the Civil War. Within the panel itself are, fro dooe mth r upwards e firse armth th tf ) o sMarquess(1 : , impaled with thos Lennof eo \vifes righn xsurmounted i hi f an , o t Gordoe th y db n and Lennox mottoes, BYDAND, and AVAND DARLY; (2) the Royal arms impaled with those of Denmark, supported by the Danish dragon and the unicorn of Scotland, and surmounted by a crown with lion sejant, and the motto IN DBFBNS, with the initials I. R. 6. and A. R. S. (Jacobus Rex Sextus, Anna Regina Sua). The Marquess, of course, placed the Royal arms over his own as a tenant in capite. Over all is a square panel in a richly-moulded frame: but the design which it contained has been defaced, like that of the circular plaque in the ogee arch overhead.

The way in whic3 h this whole composition is worked into the tall panel, and the immense amount of care devoted to the details of the ornament, make thi e sfines th doorwa n Scotlandi f to e s elsewhereyon A . e th , carved work here is in Old Red Sandstone. In the two upper storeys the internal fittings of the house are on

lintee s fouTh ha l r shields mucw , whicno h e weatheredar h t seebu , mhavo t e exhibited 1 (from lef e observer)righo t tth f o t e firs arm) th (1 :tf so Marques monogra) (2 s; mf himselo d an f e Marchioness arm) wif th e dat (3 f th e; o s ) e (4 1602—o d an ; f whic figureo e lasth htw t s only remain. 2 Sir Robert Gordon, Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland, ed. 1813, pp. 112-3. 3 Shearer (Huntly Castle, p. 13) states that this panel bore a long inscription, commencing : Non nobis. Domine. gloria. 142 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 13, 1922. the same lavish scale as the exterior. The two fireplaces on the hall

Fig. 5. Huntly Castle: View of Great Door. [Photo H.M. Office Works.of floor destroyedw no , , -are describe s odfa great richness thosd an ; e which stil le room existh n i ts abov unsurpassee ear anythiny db kine th df go in Scotland. The largest of these (fig. 6) is in the stateroom. Its lintel, THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF HUNTLY CASTLE. 143 whic candelabrao s boretw hi r dfo , bear e insigni e sth Marques th f o a s

Fig . Huntl6 . y Castle: Great Fireplace. [Photo H.M. Office Works.of and his consort on either side of their monogram, which is surmounted by a coronet and enclosed in an oval border with the inscription: " SEN • GOD • DOTH • VS • DEPEND • VE • SAL • PREVAIL • VNTO • THE • END." 144 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 1922Y13 . This linte s supportei l mailey db d figures f whico , holde hon a swors d and the other a halbert: their helmets are crested with Corinthian capitals bearing the lintel. Above these capitals the ends of the lintel are wrought as pilasters with classical imposts, between which, forming the upper border of the lintel, runs the text: " TO • THAES • THAT • LOVE • GOD • AL • THINGIS • VIBKIS • TO • THE • BEST " (Romans ch. viii. v. 28). Above this again, restin n eaco g h pilaster, tall triangular obelisks support a crescent and a trefoil respectively. Bach obelisk is entwined with a scroll, of which one bears the legend: " GEORGE • GORDOVN FIRS• T MARQVI• HVNTLIE,• F O S • " e otheth s wifed rmuc w hi thaan no f ,h o t weathered. Within these obelisks two fluted pilasters, with moulded bases and foliaged caps, enclose a square panel, which support a magnificens t presentatiof o n the Royal Arms of Great Britain and Ireland. Above all is an empty panel, forme shafty b d s supportin ground-lobea d trefoil, with scrolled ornament extradosthe subjecon sThe .thiof t s panel, probably devotional s beeha , n erased s hava , e als oo plaque thostw f n o o es eithef whico e e rlefa hfemalon th side t n o , e head, looking towards e centrath l panel s jusi , t traceable t thiA s. sid a eston e beare th s date "ANNO 1606 MAR." A remarkable feature about this mantel is the virile boldness which characterises its carved work.1 Two other fine fireplaces are preserved. The first (fig. 7), in the privat floorp s medallioto eha e , rooth n mo n portrait Marquese th f o s s and his wife, with their arms- and mottoes between: the other (fig. 8), in the topmost room of the great tower, lacks portraiture and heraldry, e heavth t y bu lintel, \vhich rest n thio s n pilasters with broad bases and imposts, is worked up into a series of narrow horizontal mould- ings broken by vertical members. This lintel is bored for a single chandelier. Masons' marks abound everywher e freestonth n o e e dressingf o s f scoreo t e keepf individuao th sOu . l marks frieny m r Jame, M d . E s Smith has collected a dozen types (fig. 9), which appear to be all the varieties traceable upon accessible portion e buildingth f o s . welly ma have W e thankfucause b l tha al o et r t remainfo l thif o s s statel ydescriptiond keepol t bu ; s make kee e regreth n t for whas ha t perished. Thus d rStatisticalthol e Account (1794) speak f "tho s e ceilings, whic e ornamentear h d wit a greah t variet f paintingsyo n i , 1 From a measured drawing by Mr J. J. Joass, published in Building News, 1st February 1895, the following approximate measurements may be deduced:—width of void, 5 feet 6 inches; heigh voif o tbas o d (t lintelf eo fee)4 inche3 t s; lengt f lintelho fee7 , inche4 t s; heigh f linteo t l textf o p fee)2 to inches 5 t o (t ; total heigh apeo (t t trefoilf xo fee4 1 ) t 6 inches. THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF HUNTLY CASTLE. 145

small divisions, containing many emblematical figures, with verses expressive of some moral sentiment in doggerel rhyme." l More details e give ar Cordiney b n r (1780). "e apartments Somth f o en pari d -an , ticula curioue th r s ceilings stile ar , l preserved pretty entire. Thee yar painted with a great variety of subjects, in small divisions; a few lines of poetry under each describ e subjece pieceth eth n thes I f e o . teth virtues, vices, trades, and pursuits of mankin e characterisear d y b d emblematical figures which, though not the most elegant, are expres- sive. In the chamber which was appointed for a chapel, the parables and other sacred subject repree ar s - sented in the same style."2 Where this chapel was e o detai,th n f o l existing ruins discloses. Through the kindness of my friend Dr Thomas Ross, , I have been privileged to consult copies made by him of three un- published drawings of Huntly Castle, done by John Claude Nattes on 19th October 1799. The originals are in e possessioth f Messro n s Douglas & Foulis, publishers, Edinburgho t , who r kinmfo d e thank perdu -e ar s missio o reproduct n f theo e m on e (fig. 10). These three drawings, and Fig . Huntl7 . y Castle: Fireplace a fourt Nattesn hi ' published collec- with Medallions. tion, d indicatdecasa ye th whice h [Photo W. Norrie. has overtaken the castle in modern times. They show the high-pitched roof of the main house, and the tall conical roof of the great round tower, with its fine dormers. On the octagonal capehouse is a pointed roof. Magnificent as are the remains of the oriel windows on the south front, they represent onl e originay th hal f o f l design, whic s showi h n levelso tw be uppeyf th ,o Natte e rb portiono t se oriel th f so s forming large dormers lighting the garret, and finished off with pediments and finials. The upper mock window on the chimney had ranged with and still preserves the appearance of these dormers, as the lower mock window ranges wit orielse e drawin hth e nort On th . r courtf ho o g - 1 Statistical Account of Scotland, r J. Si Sinclair. ed . 478, p vol . . xi . . CordinerC 2 , Antiquities d Scenery Northe an th f o of Scotland, . 9-10pp . VOL. LVI. 10 146 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 1922Y13 . yard front shows two dormer windows in good preservation, and indicates also tha e summie capehousth tth f o t e ovee staircasth r e tower was finished with a groined vaulting carrying a stone roof—some fragment f whicho s , indeed, still exist. This great keep forms only one portion of the whole pile of buildings (figtha) 11 . t constitute e castle continues i dth t I . d eastwar ranga y db e of two storeys, now greatly dilapidated, but having three vaulted cellars, which together wit e keehth p form e soutth s h frongreaa f o t t quad- rangle. The east side of this quadrangle is closed by another range,

Fig. 8. Huntly Castle: Fireplace in Bound Tower. [Photo W. Norrie. also two-storeyed t unvaultedbu , d likewisan , e greatlye ruinedth f O . buildings on the north side only two cellars remain, while the west e courtyarth sid f t o epresena s i d t open, although Nattes shown a s extensive range here. The exterior face of the south range engages .wit e middlhth e keepe th line south-eas f th ,eo t angl f whico e h forms a great shoulder in the general front—hence, doubtless, its defence by a large corner turret abovee recesseTh . d spac s lateha e r been filled wit a hlean-t o buildin f threo g e floors, havin a gfla t roo o whict f h access was obtained through a window or door from the hall of the keep. This lean-to structure has disappeared. In the old Statistical Account it is stated that "many people still in life remember to have see nranga f pillarso e , supportin n archea g d roof, which seemeo t d have been intended as a cover for such as inclined to take the air, or gardee a vieth f wo n whic befory h la e castleth e ; there bein ga doo r t fro i uppe e o mt th tha d r levea le thal n o l with ease it."Th t 1fron t 1 Statistical Account of Scotland, 477. volp . . .xi E ARCHITECTURATH L HISTOR F HUNTLYO Y CASTLE7 14 .

e courtyar t orighth a f t t se endd angles di an s, flussto h wit soute hth h s south-easit t a front d an t, corner ther s beeeha nlarg a e square tower. In this east front are remains of the great gatehouse, being the inner tranca en f do e abou fee9 t t wide, with trace f guardroomso s . South of the trance a cross wall has run out into the court. The two cellars e nortoth f ht obliquely se rang e ar e , showing thae lin f thith to e s range must have been indrawn at an acute angle. In the exterior e easwalth tf o l cella a fireplac s i r e belongin a roo o t gm adjoining. The other cellar has a shoulder in the south wall, carryin e jama doogth f bo r o furthet r buildings which have disap- peared. At its junction with the north- wes t e keepangl th e foundation f th ,eo s e wesoth f t enclosing wall show thae th t enceinte thin o s side sprang fro koee mth p at an obtuse angle. The courtyard must have been about 120 feet in greatest breadth along the east or entrance front, by about 160 feet in length along the north or rear. A " backe gate over a lowe wall f stoneo e s mentionei " n i d e welle th centrf th o s 1562., n wa I e 1 whic e squarhth e enclosing wall, witha door to the north, is shown in a view . Nattesy b . \"~~ e wesO* d th nortn an t he th side f o s castle are groune ath d falls away towards »»««,»». e rockth y channe e Deveronth f o l . West- Fig Huntl. 9 . y Castle: Masons' Marks. war e declivitth d s somewhai y t steep; d nichean d inte slopth o e hera larg s i e e circular moun r motteo d , 80 fee n diametei t e summitth t a r . It a heighrise o t f sabou o t t 5 feet above the platform occupied by the castle, buildings, from which s beeha n t i separate e other-sideth a ditch n y O db .e heigh th s f o t e mottth e varie fee0 3 s t o t froabov 8 me 1 hollo th e w into whict i h sinkse summiTh . t are s level tracei o ad n ther f an e circum, o sar e - vallation or inner buildings. To this motte the castle area has formed an appended bailey, and is surrounded by the remains of a bank and ditch, enclosing a space measuring upwards of 270 feet from north to south by 200 feet from east to west. On the east side, opposite the motte, is a strongly-constructed barbican or fore work in 1 Randolp Cecilo ht , Calendar Statee th f o Papers relating to Scotland d Maryan Queenf o Scots, 15ff-1603, vol. i.. No. 1144. 148 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 13,

the form of a lunette, consisting of a segmental mound about 75 feet across at the root and 70 feet in length to the point. This mound is surrounded b ya ditc h abou fee0 4 t tfee0 1 broa t d deepan d . These earthwork e remainth a vere f ar syo s powerful Norman e castlth f o e mound-and-court type, forming one of the best - preserved and most fully-developed specimens of this kind in Scotland. Generally these early earthworks have been little affectelatee th ry b dston e buildings,

WuuM^uoHflTi^¥ A

IH

n' i

Fig. 10. Huntly Castle: Nattes' View. t alon bu e soutgth h fron e enclosinth t ge baile banth s bee f yha o k n converted into a terrace by a stone revetment, of which fragments remain.1 Fro earln ma y period ther s beeha e ncastla t Strathbogiea e . Nor ise mai thith nf s o route remarkablee whicon y sb e vals th h ewa r fo , armies crossin "e Mounth,gth r MuntFi " e eithehth Pasy b rt Aboyna s e and the Capel Munth Pass at , or by the lower passes at Cryne's Cros d Cairnamounthan s , proceeded northwar Morayo t d e th , last stronghold of irreconcilable Celticism; and the castle of Strath- bogi a seriee f formef o fortresseo s e on d s which assured that this

1 In a plan of the castle and policies, dated 1766, now in the keeping of Mr T. A.-Buff, factor, Gordon-Richmond estates e mounth , s markei d d " mote." This plan also exhibite th s lay-oupleasauncee th f o t whichy e seventeentb th n i , h century e castl th s surrounded,, wa e , with the gatehouse at its south end, about the spot now occupied by the Gordon schools. PEEL

OR

NORMAN MOTTE

HUNTLY CASTLE GENERAL PLAN

. HuntlFig.11 y Castle: General Plan. 150 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 1922Y13 .

master rout always ewa friendln si y hands.introductioe Th f Anglono -

Norman feudalism into this 1 region dates from the reign of William the Lyon (1154-1214). This King made a grant of Strathbogie to Duncan, Earl of Fife, one of the old Celtic nobility who had conformed to Norma s castlhi e nsit r f chieth o eusageso e r f Fo messuag. e Earl Duncan chose the very strong position formed by the confluence of the two streams, Bogie and Deveron. Here he built the mound, with its appended bailey, which still remains 011 the west side of the later castle, and which was called the Peel of Strathbogie (Latin palum, a stake, fro e palisadmth e which creste e mound)e samdth y th ewa n I . the moated mound which defended the east flank of the great Durward lordshi n Deesidpo s knowe Peewa eth f o s l na . v Duncan de Strathbolgia was succeeded in 1204 by his third son, David, who, having harried some lands belongin e Bishoth f o t go p Moray, stoutly maintained himself in his castle until forced to yield by apostolin a c letter, dated xiii Kalends May, 1224 f Pop,o e Honorius III. It is stated that David " planted himself in the Peel of Strathbogie"; and this is apparently the earliest notice of the castle. All outstanding questions between the Bishop and the Lord of Strathbogie were settled by a compromise agreed upon in 1232. In this document, Muryno, Senescha f Strathbogieo l s mentioned.i , 2 Strathbogie Castle played but a minor part in the great struggle wite Plantagenetsth h n 1307I . , durin s campaighi g n againse th t Comyns, King Robert fell sic t a Inverurieks brough wa d an t, for better security to " Strabogy," "And swa laiig thair maid sojornyiig Till he begouth to cover and ga."3 e thirteentth n I h centur e lordyth f Strathbogio s d becomha e y b e marriage also Earls of Atholl. On the victorious conclusion of the war with England, Davi Strathbolgiae d , Ear f Athollo l , loslands hi r t fo s adhering to Edward II.; and the lordship of Strathbogie was granted e middle thirteentth th f y o e1B h century there were Bisset t Aboynea s ; Durwardt a s Lumphanan, Straehan Coulld an ,e Normanise th ; d Celti t Kindrochita cr lordMa f o s , Migvie, and ; Normanised Celtic earls of Fife at Strathbogie; de Moravias at Boharm; anPolloce dD t Rothessa . 2 See Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, pp. 28-30, 78-80; also D. Shearer, Huntly Castle : being Sketchvariousthe of Castlespresent near the or site the of on ruin since thirteenththe century, Huntly, 1885, reprinted 1906, p. 1. It should be stated that the records as printed Registrume inth Moraviense contai referenco n e Pee th f Strathbogie o lo t e . 3 Harbours Brus, ed. W. M. Mackenzie, p. 152. It may be noted that the Comyn Earls of Buchan never had any connection with Strathbogie, although the castle has often been described as in their demesne. The error has doubtless arisen from the fact that David de Strathbolgia, whom Bruce deprived of his lands, was married to Joan, daughter of the Red Comyn, lord of Badenoch, slain by Bruce in 1306. THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF HUNTLY CASTLE. 151 by Bruce to Sir Adam Gordon of Huntly in Berwickshire—from which place the old fortress of Strathbogie was ultimately to receive a new name. But it was not until 1.376 that the Gordons settled down in unchallenged occupatio lordshipe th e Earlf no th f Athols o sa , l retained certain claims until their extinctio t thina s date. In 1408, Sir John Gordon, last in the male line of the Gordons of Huntl d Strathbogiean y s succeede wa s siste, hi y rb d Elizabeth, who, in that year, married Sir Alexander Seton. In 1436 Sir Alexander was created first Lord Gordon; and in 1445 or 1449 his son, also Alexander

Seton, was made first Earl of Huntly, receivinl g shortly afterwards a lordshie granth f o tf Badenochpo . This Earl became involvee th n di bitter struggle betwee e royath n l hous f e greaStewaro eth d t an t baronial famil f Douglasyo struggla ; e which reache da climae th n xi murde Earf o r l Dougla Jamey t Stirlinsb a . sII g Castl 22nn eo d February e civir begotteth wa l n 1452I y thi.b n s dee f bloodo d , Huntls wa y appointed Lieutenant-Genera e Kingdomth f o l , with full powers benorth e Mountht oncth a e eH mustere. s n armyhi a d hurrie d d an ai , o t d interceptes masterwa e "t Tigerth bu , y b d " Ear f Crawfordo l e th t a , battle of Brechin (18th May 1452). The royalists held the field, but unwelcome news fro e nortmth h soon recalle landsn d Huntlow .s hi o yt In his absence, Archibald Douglas, , had descended on Strathbogie, wasted the vale, and given the castle to the flames. Arriving quickle sceneth n y,o Lord Huntly cleare s barone dhi th f yo invaders, followed them up into Moray, and ultimately succeeded in breaking the Douglas power in the north.2 On the conclusion of these troubles the destroyed castle was rebuilt by Lord Huntly. " Three years later," writes Shearer, " Earl Alexander proceede o rebuilt d d Strathbogie Castle, rearin a glarge d moran r e e placth f thastatelo en i te whicy on bee d ha hn burnt spend e an , th t remaining s lifyearn addind beautifyinhi i e an f o so t g g it."3 There doubo n ca e o thit nb t s sthai reconstructiont i t , commencin 1455n gi , that we owe the design of the great keep with its huge south-west tower, and it is also clear that its souterrain is still the original work of this period, although all the upper portions have been reconstructed or rebuilt doorwaye Th . thin si s basement, with their three-sided heads, 1 For the disputed date, see Records of , ed. Charles, eleventh Marquess of Huntly, p. 383. e HistoricalSe 2 r JamesWorkSi f o Balfour, . HaigJ . ed , vol . 181p . .i "The Earlf o e Huntley, imediatly after the batell of Brechin, marches north to opposse the proceidings of Archbald Douglas, Earl f Murrayo e , quh d inwadiha o s landeshi t d brun an e ,Castel th t l of Strathbogie: him he chasses out of Murray, and burnes the town of Elgyne, and he againe defaitt armes hi s t Dinkintya y boge." Cf. Lindsa f Pitscottie'yo s Chronicles, M.. . MackayJ ed , . 99volp . ;i .als r RoberoSi t Gordon, Genealogical History Earldome th f o f Sutherland,o . 73 . p ' Huntly Castle, p. 3. 152 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUARY 13, 1922.

e parallelear othen di r building e fifteentth f o s h century, notablt a y Borthwick Castle, erected in 1430, at St Salvator's Church, St Andrews, e churcfoundeth t f a Torphichen o h n 1456 e d i genera th an , d lAn . keepe plath f ,n o wit s greahit t round tower, also point thio t s s period. During the fourteenth century—a period of national depression incident to the prolonged struggle with England—most of our , great and small, had been built on the plan of a simple rectilineal' tower or keep, attached to which was a walled barmekin, enclosing the out - buildings. But, in the fifteenth century, when the country began to recover its prosperity, these plain rectangular tower-houses begin e largersomn i ,th f eo castles develoo t , p into extensiv comd ean - plicated structures, in which the general idea of a self-contained keep or strong house is conserved, but with the addition of wings or towers for flanking defence supplyo t d e increasean th , d domestic accommoda- requiredtiow no ne simpl Th . e square tower t i were s a , , undergoes a process of lateral expansion beneath the stress of improved social standards castlee Th f .Crookston o s , Doune, Ravenscraig, Hermitage, Morton, Sanquhar, Tullyallan, Balvenie e Bishop',th Rait d an ,s Palace at Kirkwall, are well-known examples of these fifteenth-century ex- tended keeps. In all of them the main idea is that of the old keep r strono g house a larg, n carrieo e t r scale o ou modified e an , on y b d more flanking towers e greaTh t. kee t Huntlya p , wit s massivit h e round tower, closely resemblin e desigth g f Balvenieo n , Raitd an , Kirkwall, plainly belongs to the same class of building, and the evidence of plan is confirmed by the fifteenth-century character of the doors in its basement. This underground range is clearly part of the castle erected by Earl Alexander, although everything above, or over the e soutoffseth hn o tfron s beeha tn rebuile sixteentth n i t d sevenhan - teenth centuries. The terrible underground prison, like those at Spynie, St Andrews, Dirleton, Tantallon, and other castles of this period, is also very characteristi e wheag nn a feudal f o c ' tyrann n Scotlanyi d reached its utmost license of unbridled power. t thiA s point emerge importann a s t question. nature Whath s e twa of the castle which the Douglas marauders burned in 1452? Was it timbered ol stil e lth d moun bailed earle th an t f yyo thirteenth century? Or had the earthwork, in the prosperous days before the English war, bee e grannth supersedef do e stonon ey db buildings , with their high wall d massivan s e towers f whico , e neighbourinth h g castl f Kilo e - drumm splendio s s yi n exampleda ? Macgibboi d Rosswero an i wh ,e aware of the existence of a castle at Strathbogie in the thirteenth century, but did not concern themselves with the earthworks, were incline believto d e that therher was ea greae t stone castl thiat e s THE ARCHITECTURAL HISTOR F HUNTLYO Y CASTLE3 15 .

period. "The great size of the south-west tower, and the thickness e walls,oth f " they write, " ten o support d t that existine viewTh . g round tower may, in that case, be erected on the foundations ,of a thirteenth-century castle, and the south wall of the main building may be on an ancient wall of enceinte."

At first sight this seems a temptin x g hypothesis; but a close ex- aminatiofacte th l s al will f n o I ,think , seriously diminis likelihoods hit . If, durin e thirteentgth h century e earthworth , beed kha n replacey db a stone castle of such consequence as the dimensions of the round towe d soutan r he presen th wal f o l t keep must postulate t likeli s i , y that so important a castle would have been left unvisited by Edward I. on the two occasions (1296 and 1303) when he passed through the strath ? On each occasio e neighbourine callenh th t a d g castl f Kildrummyeo , yet there is no mention 'of Strathbogie in the itineraries. Again, if e outline th n enceintea f o s e thirteentcastlth f o e h centur e preyar - e servesoutth n hdi wald south-wesan l t e presentoweth f o r t keep, t i becomes very difficul o explait t e thorougth n h destructioe th f o n ancient building. For be it remembered that no part of the keep can possibly belon o thit g s supposed stone e thirteentcastlth f o e h century. Thick as they are, the west and south walls of the keep are yet no thicker than the others, and with them simply form the outer walls of the house. They have nothing of the detached char- acter of the great curtains or screen walls of the thirteenth-century castles, which are never absorbed in the interior buildings against theme musW .t therefore conclude thata ston f i , e e castlth f o e thirteenth century existed s beeha n t i , pulled foundationse dowth o nt . On the face of it, such an utter demolition of so extensive a pile is highly improbable. In the vast majority of cases, where a first-class fortres e thirteentth f o s h centur s existedyha , portions have contrived o survivt n time—eveow er ou dow no t nwher e recordth e s most abound with destruction d rebuildingsan s . Eve t a Botn h well and Dirleton, where the deliberate demolition has been most severe, very large portion e originath f o s l work t remaina Huntly t n a Ye f i ., early castl f enceinteo e s existedha t i mus, t have been pulled down absolutely to the base course. But when was this done ? If during the War of Independence, it is surprising that no record exists of a demolitio unexampledo s n y militarr indeeo an , f o dy operations con- nected wit a hcastl formidablo s e e thirteenth-centurth s a e y strong- hold must have been, if its outlines remain in the great round tower and sout he presen th wal f o l t s equalli keep t I . y unlikely thae th t demolitio e worth f Archibals o k wa n d Douglas' hasty rai n 1452i d . 1 Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 278. 154 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 13, 1922. e assumw Non eca r that, instea f repairino d e burnt-outh g t castle, Earl Alexander decided to rebuild it wholly, and so razed the stone- work to its very foundations. Certainly he would have retained, and buildingsw ne utilise s hi t leas a ,n di larga t e portio f sucno h powerful fortifications. Nor, if it be conceded that he did utterly efface the old castle of enceinte, is there adequate reason why he should have retained its plan in his new building. The design of the great keep, have w es a seen, associates itself wit ha well-know n clas f fifteentho s - century structure; and there is nothing in the dimensions or relation- ships of its south wall and round tower to warrant the idea that these concea e forthirteenth-centura th lf mo y predecessor. wholee Oth n I ,think probabilite th , decidedls yi y that there never was a stone castle of enceinte at Strathbogie, and that the earthwork remaines destroye untie wa us t i l n Archibali dy b d d Dougla 1452n i s . The continued use of such early strongholds down to this late period is well attested. At Lochmaben the motte remained in use until finally demolished in 1384 : the stone castle on a different site belongs to the fifteenth s completecenturywa d an , de reig th onl f Jameno n yi . IV s The stonework at the motte of Duffus is also of this century, previous to which its defences must have been in timber. Even in England parallels occur : thus the motte of York Castle still retained its timbered superstructure as late as 1324. After the wooden defences of his motte

d beeha n burn 1452n i t , Lord Huntly probabl1 y decided thae timth t e d comstona r ha efo e castle more befittin e growinth g g dignite th f yo Gordon family. His general circumstances fully warranted this step. By recent vast acquisitions of land, by his services to the royal cause, and by the overthrow of his rivals, the Douglases, he had become " the greatest e nortpoweth f Scotland."n o hi r 2 Beside e lordshith s f o p Strathbogie, his enormous territories included the lordship of Badenoch ; the barony of Aboyne, with which went practically the "whole of the uppe vallee De r lordshie y th ; f Enzipo othed e ;an r landsspeao t t kno , e ancestraoth f l Gordon domain n Berwickshirei s . Hig n favouri h , grea n poweri t mighn , sucma tha well desir replaco et e humbleth e motte by a splendid castle in the new fashion of extended keeps. We are told that building operations occupied him for the rest of his days ; in the new castle he died on 15th July 1470, and was buried in Elgin Cathedral, where his fine monument remains. The grandeur of the new castle secured numerous visits from royalty otherd an f distinctionso e beginninth t A . f Jungo e 1495 e marriagth , e

Armitags Mr 1 Eim.n i e Hist. Review, vol. . 443-xixpp . 7 ; quote Hamiltoy db n Thompson, Military Architecture Englandn i during Middlee th . Ages,55 . p . WattW 2 , History f Aberdeeno d Banff, . 87an p . E ARCHITECTURATH L HISTOR F HUNTLYO Y CASTLE5 15 . betwee e pretendernth , Perkin Warbeck—whose caus s quixoticallewa y championed by James IV.—and the " White Rose of Scotland," beautiful Lady Catherine Gordon, Lord Huntly's daughter, was solemnised at e e castlScottisth th n ei h king's presence n 1501I . , 1503, 1504 1505d an , , James renewe s acquaintancdhi e with Strathbogie, each occasion being commemorate y itemdb f expendituro s e account th e Lor th n i e df o s High Treasurer f theso o e Tw entries. n 150i , d 15051an , recore th d paymen f drino t k silve o masonst r r satisfactorfa , whico s s i h n i y provin e existencth g t thia e s a castldat f o e n stone.r i eRober Si t

Gordon n recordini , e secone deatth gth f ho d Ear n 1500i l 1 , state- ex s plicitly tha e "finisheh t e housth d f Strathbogio e e verie statelid an e sumptuouslie, which his father Earle Alexander had begun."2 In 1506 Alexander e thirth , d Earl, receive a dcharte r unde e Greath r t Seal, landss confirmin hi providingd an m , hi o t g , inter alia, that their " chief messuage, whic s formerlwa h y called Strathbogie l futural n i e e b , times name e territoriaCastld th dol f Huntly."e o e th t l designaBu 3 - tion died hard. In 1544 the fourth Earl " caused the palace of Strath- bogie to be called Huntlie by act of Parlament."4 Spalding in the seventeenth century calls it" indifferently by both names: Patrick Gordon refer t onci s "o t esa Huntly f somo , e called Straithbogie."

George, fourth Ear f Huntlyo l d travelleha , n Francdi d knean e w 5 s splendiit d chdteaux. Between 155 d 155 e rebuil1an 4h e castlth t n ei sumptuous fashion. Indee modere dth n aspece buildinth f o t almoss gi t entirelo thit se e reconstructe h Earldu y r fo , e keed rounth d an p d tower practically from above the basement, whose dark vaults and grim dungeon were almost the only portions suffered to remain of the fifteenth-century castle. Althoug e builduppew th hne -e r th floo f o r ing was again re-modelled, as the great inscription tells us, at the beginning e seventeentth f o - h century e dat th e initial, eth 155d san 3 and arm f thi o ss wif shi eEar d stilan l l remaie gabless i th t n I no . thus to the fourth Earl, and not to his successor the first Marquess, that we must award the real credit for the stately palace whose ruins remain; although the later nobleman has been more generally identified with it by reason of his great inscription and the beautiful architectural details of oriel windows, mantels, and frontispiece which he introduced into his father's work. How much of the fifteenth-century outer walls may have been left above the basement it is impossible to say. The

e AccountsSe 1 e Lordth f o High Treasurer f Scotland,o vol . (1500-1504)ii . . 124pp , ; , 4014 ,46 vol. iii. (1506-1507) . 165pp , , 168.

2 Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland, p. 82. 3 Registrum Magni Sigilli, 1424-1513 . 2909No , . 4 Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland, p. 110. * Britane's Distemper, ed . . DurmJ . 18 . p , 6 PROCEEDING15 E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 1922Y13 . west gable, which bear e datth s e 1553 s beeha , n rebuilt almost from the foundations, if we may judge from the uniformity of the freestone quoins. The north angle of this gable engages with a different kind of masonr n tho ye nort he keep th fron f ,o tint o whics veri t yi h irregularly coaxed. This masonry, being older than that of the gable

worked into it in 1 1553, must belong to the fifteenth century; and doubtless a considerable part of the north wall—which being in rear t subjece ornatno th e kee s o th t fte pwa incrustation thas beeha t n applied to the south front—may be a remnant of the original structure. The courtyard buildings also belonmaie th thi o nt n gi s period, though the unvaulted east range, with the trance, was probably refashioned in the seventeenth century. Unde e fourtth r h Eare e Gordon powee th th northl th f o rn i s, which had been rising steadily since the fourteenth century, achieved its zenith. " From central Aberdeenshire to the western sea lochs," it • has been said, " he was lord of the land, and to his hereditary earldom of Huntly he added for a time the other historic earldoms of Mar and Moray. He was Lieutenant of the North, or Viceroy of trans-Grampian Scotland Chancellos wa mose e realme th h th ; td f influentiao ran , s a l e wealthiesth wel s a l t Scottish noblema s dayhi .f o o nn Ther s wa e force that could cope witaparm hhi t fro e royamth l authority, unless t weri e growineth g powe f Argyle Weso r th n ti l Highlands."2 magnificence Th f thio e s great lors strikingldwa y evinced when ni 155 receivee 6h newly-finishes hi t da d palac e Queen-Regenteth , Marf yo Guise. She was met with a guard of honour of a thousand men, and the splendou r entertainmenhe f o r s sucwa th that days,w e aftefe sh , a r wished to depart in order to relieve the burden on her host. Huntly assure r tha chees d he s withi hi t rwa s means nhi astonished an , y b r dhe displayin e spaciougth s vaults crammed with provisions largA . e force of hunters explaines wa e Queen t ,i th employe s nighto d dt wa ,an y , dda dailyd an , even fro mose mth t distant cornes vashi tf o rdomains e th , spoils of their weapons were sent into -Huntly Castle. So profound was e impressioth n e createEarl'th y sb d magnificence thae Frencth t h ambassador, D'Oysel, who was Mary's confidential adviser, hesitated not to suggest that an early opportunity be found to "clip his wings."

1 On the first floor (fig. 1) is an oblique recess in the north wall at this point. This reces3 s is in alignment with the fragment of the barmekin wall visible below (fig. 11); and there can be little doubt tha t representi t stoppesa d passag parapee th o et t walk. 2 Watt, History f Aberdeeno d Banff, . an 130p . 3 See Dr J. Robertson's Inventories of Queen Mary's Jewels, pp. xxv, 53; Hist. MSS. Commission, 1st Rep., p. 114; C. A. Gordon, A Concise History of the Ancient and Illustrious House of Gordon, ed. A. M. Munro, pp. 37-38. Gordon (whose work was originally published in 1754) speaks of Huntly Castle as "a new expensive stately building, which he had joined to the old castl rendered ean dvera y convenient palace." E ARCHITECTURATH L HISTOR F HUNTLYO Y CASTLE. 157

Such ostentation brought many enemies in its train, and Huntly's position throughout his career was embarrassed by his steadfast adherence to the ancient faith. At last the unfortunate nobleman was goaded into rebellion, and was defeated at the battle of Corrichie (28th October 1562). Lord Huntly himself a corpulen, n whom ma ts armou hi , r vexed, died woundles castle e field s pillagedth Th n wa .e o s , wrecked d burnedan , . s plundeIt s prodigious wa e rdetaile th d an d, enumeratio n Queei n n Mary's Inventories impresses us like nothing else with the splendour of this norther e opulencn th s castlpoten it d f an o ee t s i lords t I . enough here to note that the furnishings taken from Strathbogie suffice o reconditiot d e Ear th f nMoray'o l s castl t Darnawaya e d an , furniso t h completel e fatayth l hous t Kira e ' Fieldo k ; thae looth t t included more than 140 Ibs. of silver plate; and that within its walls had been stored all the choice vestments and treasures of Cathedral, including the tent in which Edward II. had slept the night before Bannockburn. Precisely what damage was done to the castle by the events of 1562 is hard to say; and there is certainly no existing masonry that can be prove dato dt e fro restoratione mth , which took plac 1569n ei notA . n ei Lore th d High Treasurer's Account monef so y wage e disburseth y s pa o dt of twenty " men of weir remanand in Strabogie"l indicates that the hous s garrisonewa e d afte s captureit n 156ri e embalmed 6th an ; d remain e death df o sEar l were conveye o Strathbogie—t d a procedure hardly likely had the castle then been in hopeless ruin. The only portion which might be thought to date from the reconstruction in 1569 roune ith s d stair north-ease toweth t a r t corner s thiIt .n walls prove this tower an insertion ; the beautiful decorated doorway belongs to the last reconstructio castle th f eno about 1602; -an s suggestei dt i e th y db writer on Huntly in Castles of Aberdeenshire that this doorway is an additio tower tower.the the tha If so, ,n to bein tis g older than 1602and

yet inserte2 d in the main house of 1553, would naturally be assigned to the restoration of 1569. But structural evidence proves that the doorway is of the same date as the tower, both belonging to the final reconstruction seventeente th n i h centurytowee th face f flattenes ro i eTh . accomo t d - modate the tall frontispiece, and above it the flattening is corbelled out in a manner clearly original. This proves that the stair tower was designed at the outset to receive the ornate door. Moreover, the string courses on the tower are distinctively seventeenth century in style. It is thus clear tha e damagtth e wrough 156n i thavn 2ca e little harme e solidth d stonework of the building. 1 Accounts Lorde oth f High Treasurer of Scotland, vol . (155xi . 9 1566) . 214p , . 2 Castles of Aberdeenshire,. 76 , 73 . pp 158 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 13, 1922.

In 1594, however, Huntly Castle sustained a far more serious blow. Having become suspect throug alleges hhi d connection wit "e Spanishth h Blanks," George, fifth Earl of Huntly, joined Lord Erroll in a mad revolt. After some initial succes rebee sth l barons were puroya e fligho t th y l b t forces unde personae rth l comman f Jamedo . SlainsVI s Castl s firsewa t blown up, and then the victors arrived before Huntly. Struck with the beauty of the palace, the King was unwilling to visit it with the drastic rudee fatth f reo Erroll fortalice t Andrebu ; w s Melvillepresenwa o twh , and—so his nephew proudly tells us—"ware a corslet at the dinging down of Streabogy," "when be maniest vottes it was inclyning to spear the hous, he reasoned and bure out the mater sa, be the assistance of the guid Lord Liridsay and Capteans of horsmen and futmen, that at last the King takes upon him, contrar to the graitest part of the Counsall, to conclu demolishine dth house th gifd f gf,an o comman maistee th o dt f ro wark to that effect; quhilk was nocht lang in executing be the souldiours. When all was done, lytle sound meining and small effect fordar was producit."' In spite of this remark by the chronicler, of the date 1553 still visible on the west gable, and of the whole character of the existing remains, many writers have assumed that this destruction of 1594 was absolutely complete d thaan , t the main hous s thereaftewa e r rebuilt from its foundations, the whole of the existing fabric being alleged to date from this restoration e Privth f yo Councilt . Ac Fro e m,th dated 28th October 1594, "anen e demolishinth t e Ear th gf Huntly' o l s house and fortalice of Strathbogie," it appears that the "dimolissing and casting doun of the same place and fortalice, als weill new as auld werk thairof," was entrusted to " Williame Shaw, his Hienes maister of werkis," who received instruction " to caus entir workemen for dimoleissing and casting doun of the same place and fortalice to the ground, wit c expeditiousi h s coiivenientlia n o dayy be."Tw sma e2 afte e King'th r s arrival " nothin s lefgtwa unhocked saving greate eth e olde tower which shall be blown up with powder." It is thus clear

fro l evidencal m e thae demolitioth t f a 159o mucn s 4hwa more 3 thorough-going attempt permanentl o dismantlt y e buildinth e g than the destruction of 1562. As to the actual damage our authorities

1 Autobiography Diaryd an Jamesr oM f Melville, . PitcairnR . ed 314. pp , 319. zealoue Ith f s Andrew had got his way, the noble pile of Glasgow Cathedral, as a "monument of idolatry"(l) would have receive dooda m simila thao t r t Huntlmeteo t t dou y Castle—se . EobertsonJ r eD , Scottish Cathedrals Abbeysd an (reprinted Aberdeen 1891 from Quarterly Review, June . 1840)64 . p , 2 Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. v. (1592-1599), pp. 185-86. Twenty stone weight of powder, together with " certane mattolds, gavillokis utherid an , s werklume materiallid an s s for dimolissin castind gan g dou houssif no fortaliceisd san " were len theo t "Provos e Kinth y gb t and Council of Aberdeen; Ibid., pp. 183-84. ' Advertisements from Strathbogie, 29th October 1594; Calendar of State Papers relating to Scotland, . e alsvol(1589-1603)ii Se .o . Records29 . p ,f Aboyne,o . 521p . E ARCHITECTURATH L HISTOR F HUNTLYO Y CASTLE9 15 . are silent. Fortunately architectural evidence leaves scant doubt on this important question. We have already seen tharoune th t d staircase e northtoweth t a -r east cornekeepe th f ,ro wit splendis hit d entrance, dates from, about 1602. In addition to this tower, a length of some 27 feet of the adjoining north e maiwalth f no l hous s alsei n insertiooa e oldeth n rni fabric. This portion of the wall is a mere screen, in places barely 2 feet thick, whereas elsewhere the walls at this level reach a thickness of about 6 feet. It is clear, therefore, that the staircase tower, and the thin strip of wall to weste th mai,e closth n n greaei a housp tga e blow Williay nb m Shawn i 1594. In all probability there was here, before the destruction, a wing extending northward, the complete erasure of which was the means taken by the engineers of James VI. in order to render the building untenable. The castle of the sixteenth century was thus probably a great keep on the L plan, modified by the addition of the immense round e south-westoweth t a r t corner— ae fifteenth-centur th reli f o c y castle rebuil 1551-4n i t . The destructio wina f n ordeo i g o rendet r a housr e untenabls i e paralleled by Cromwell's treatment of Neidpath Castle, Peeblesshire, in 1650. In 1597 Lord Huntly made his peace with King James, and two years later.was created first Marques f Huntlyo s . Forthwit e Marqueshth s bega restoratioe nth ruines hi f no d home a tas, k substantially finished, e inscriptioth s e souta th n hno front inform 1602y b , ,us althougs e hon of the fireplaces is dated so late as 1606. In 1601 the castle must have been habitable than i r t fo yea, r "the General Assembly arranged that certain ministers should visit Strathbogi successionn ei f o thad e an , on t their number should be ' planted' at the Castle, to instruct the Earl and keep off mass priests "—a striking exampl f thoseo e meddlesome qualities which unenviably distinguished the "reformed" Scottish clergy. One of these "planted" minister 160n i s 7 reported that Huntl announced yha d his intentio f restorinno e chapes mansioth ghi n i l n s " seeinwa e h g rebuildin s housghi Strathbogie."n ei l The wor f thiko s latest restoratio e castlth f clearls eno i y definey db inscriptive and architectural evidence. The chief structural alteration was the insertion of the staircase tower "with its magnificent frontispiece; buuppee th t r portion e keeth pf o swer e also extensively remodellede th , beautiful cornice, oriel windows, coped and carved chimneys, and great inscription f thibeino e samsl th dategal s hald t e ol A wa ltim . e th e subdivide partitiona y db , providin ga withdrawin g roo e splendith m ; d

fireplaces, three of which remain, were inserted; and the ceilings were Shearer1 , Huntly Castle, pp. 10-11. 160 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUARY IS, 1922.

painte describes da cellarCordinero y db tw e s flankinTh . e kitchegth n were converted into dwelling-rooms e rooth md an adjoinin, e th n i g round tower, whicy havma he originally bee a ncellar s alswa o, remodelle r livinfo d , largin g e windows being slapped througe th h ancient walls—on f whico e h windows e nortth n ho , side s beet ha , cu n throug e exterior e offseth hth n o t . Extensive alterations were also made in the "laigh building" round range courtyarde cellad th th en f eo re prolonginTh . keee gth p east- ward shows very evident rebuildin s vaultit masonre n gi th , f whicyo h partso tw ,n i i smarkedl y distinc charactern i t pare Th t. towarde th s cour s buili t f muco t h smaller stones tha e rest resembled nth an , s very closel e masonr yth e unvaulte th f yo d east range whic t adjoinshi l Al . this is clearly seventeenth-century work. The two detached vaults on the north side of the close are massively built in coarse masonry, and, doubtless, belong to the time of the fourth Earl (1551-4). With these great changes the castle assumed its final shape, and the remainde s architecturait f o r f developmeno t l no histor f e o t on s ybu ti decay. At this point we may, therefore, consolidate the results of our investigation. These may be tabulated in five propositions. e origina1Th . l fortress e thirteentth n i , h century a timbere s wa , d mound-and-court earthwork of the Norman type, which continued in use until burned by the Earl of Moray in 1452. 2. Therefore the earthwork was abandoned, and a great stone castle built beside it. This castle was of the extended keep plan, and there remains of it to-day, in recognisable form, the basement of the present main house, wit e dungeoh th e south-westh n ni t tower. Doubtless con- siderable portion e outeth f ro s wall se superstructure inth , particularly e nortonth hsubstancn i side e ar , e fifteenth-century work. 3. In 1551-4 the stone castle was rebuilt. The whole of the keep and great tower, above their fifteenth-century basement, date in effect from this rebuilding—although the upper floors and interiors generally were recast at the beginning of the seventeenth century. This sixteenth- century wincastla d geha projectin northe e positioth th o n w gt i , nno occupied by the small entrance tower. With the exception of the east range buildinge th , s roun courtyare dth d appea dato rt e from this time. 156n 4I . e castl2 th s dismantledewa d repairean , 1569n di stone o N . - wor assignabls ki thio et s date, and. doubtless destructioe th , n affected only roofs and woodwork. 5. In 1594 the castle was again damaged, the chief destruction con- sisting in the removal of the north wing of the main house. In the first decad nexf eo t centur buildine yth s restore lase gwa th t r timee dfo Th . work of this period comprises: (a) the staircase tower and thin wall E ARCHITECTURATH L HISTOR F HUNTLYO Y CASTLE1 16 . adjoining; (6) the remodelling of the upper floors; (c) the decorating of interiors it conversioe s; (d) th vaultee th f no d apartment groune th n so d floor (except the kitchen) into living rooms; (e) the partitioning of the ease th t ) courtyardrange (/ hall th d f eo presens an ; it n i , t form. At the site of the present Gordon schools, on the drive leading from Huntly to the castle, there was formerly an exterior gatehouse with squaro tw e towers giving e policiesaccesth o t s . This gatehouse was, perhaps, also a work of the first Marquess, or its date may have been even later. On at least two occasions subsequent to the restoration about 1602, we know that building was in progress at the castle. In 1639 Parson Gordon, describing the sequel to the " Trot of Turriff," states that the castle was then being repaired, and "not in conditione to be made tenible."l And in the spring of 1643 it is recorded that the Marques s personallwa s y superintending building e castle.worth t ka 2 Messrs MacGibbon and Ross note that in 1633 mention occurs of Ralf Raleine carver,a , workin Ear the Huntly of l gfor sugges and , t that this craftsma havy nma e wrough t sculpturine somth f eo castle.e th t ga 3 Th ee restore dayth f o s d palac troubledd e an wer w n 163efe I .s 6it builder e firsth , t Marquess, s diedsuccessorHi . , George,e stooth r dfo King in the Civil War, and ended on the scaffold. Needless to say, Huntly Castle sufferee loyalt s lordth begio it r T f fo .dyo n withe th , second Marqiiess preferre ' Gigho g r Gordoo t dBo n Castle Spaldingd an , , who chronicles his movements with minuteness, records but fleeting visits to Strathbogie. Worse than neglect was to follow. On 9th July 1640 Covenantine th , g Major-General Munro, along with Earl Marischal, occupied Huntly Castle for a month. Spalding tells how their troops destroyed its policies to build themselves huts, and plundered the castle bare, without e addsh , , " doin offency gan r deio ef wran do thao gt t

statelie pallace"; though in regard to the surrounding district he 1 History of Scots Affairs, ed. J. Robertson and G. Grub, vol. ii. p. 210. ".For he was so much taken up with his newe buildings, from four hours in the morning' unti2 l eight at night, standing by his masons, urging their diligences, and directing and judging their worke scarcd , thaha e eh t tym' eato et sleepr eo , much les wreat"—o st A Breiffe Narration of the Services done to Three Noble Ladyes, by Gilbert Blakhal, ed. J. Stuart, p. 170. From a reference in Spalding (Memorialls of the Trubles in Scotland, ed. J. Stuart, vol. ii. p. 187) we gathe interestine th r g fact tha master-masone th t r architec,o t employe Lory db d Huntlo yt design these works was George Thomson, who rebuilt the lantern of King's College steeple, Aberdeen, after it was blown down on 7th February 1633. Spalding says: "Setterday, 10th of September [1642] George Thomsoune, maister measonefromm cu w Strathbogiene , Abirdene,o t suddantlie fell over Thomas Thomsone, burgee toun th s stair f hi d ,wits o e falan , th hl becain sensle d speichlesan s d depairtean , d this life upon e Thuirsdath e y thairefter n excellena ; t mesoun, of singular devise booldie H . t sindry brave booldings; amonge e rest sth reedifeie h , d e e collegstepilth th f d o Abirdene.le Ol kir f o k " Althoug o ascertainabln h e remainf o s Thomson's wor t kHuntla exisw no yt Castle s reconstructiohi , f thno e " crown t King'a " s College amply supports the encomium bestowed on him by the old annalist. 3 Cast, and Dom. Arch. Scotland, vol. v. p. 552. 1 1 VOL. LVI. 162 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 13, 1922.

laments thae Covenanterth t s " left that countrie almost manless, moneyless, horssless, and armless, so pitifullie was the same borne doun and subdewit, but ony mein of resistans." J The Parson of Rothiemay tell sdifferena t story abou treatmene th t e castleth f o t. "The house," writese h mads , "wa ekeyee patenth l s al himo delyvered t td an , : yet, civilityes hi y s preserveb wa , d from being rifle r defacedo d , except some emblems and imagerye, which looked somewhat popish and super- stitiouse lycke; and therefor, by the industry of one captain James Wallace (one of Munroes foote captaines), wer hewd and hrocke doune off the frontispiece of the house; but all the rest of the frontispeece, containing Huntly's scutcheon, etc.lefs twa , untwoche t standei s da o st this daye."2 The carved work thus destroyed comprised the circular plaque with crucifixion e inscriptioth d an , n ove royae th r l arms, botf ho which remain jus s thea t y were lefCaptaiy b t n Wallace's sacrilegious tools. What a strange creed that condemned to destruction as " super- stitious imagery, e reverenth " d representatio e centrath f o nl facn i t Christian faith! n I September 1644 Strathbogi s plunderewa e y Argyllb do wh , destroyed the "haill rawis of Strathbogie"—the village of Huntly—but (apparently) left the castle untouched. On 19th October Argyll was followed by Montrose, who, after beating back his timid foe at Fyvie, returne o Strathbogiet d , wher r somefo e day e rivalth s s faced each other: Montrose, says Patrick Gordon, "having the house, the gardenes, villagee th d san tha joyner a t it,o dt " while Argyll encamped abou mila t e to the south. On 6th November Montrose broke up from Strathbogie, hilli"anthe s dto goe s he." Argyl oncat l e occupie castlethe d , and, unable worso ,t s adversarhi t e fieldth n ,y i fel e lmor th bac en o kcon - genial occupation of " eitting wp" the wretched countryside for the second time. Afte e collapsth r f Montrose'o e s adventure, the castle

was gallantly3 held against General Leslie by Lord Charles Gordon, but was starved, into surrender (1647). Savage treatmen s metet wa t dou to its "Irish" garrison, who were hanged, and their officers beheaded. In December of the same year Huntly himself was captured at Delnabo, and on his way to Edinburgh was detained, by a refinement of cruelty, in his own palace. His escort were shot against its walls. The castl agais ewa n apparently subjecte outrageo t d , for-the General Assembly in 1647 appointed " some brethren to visit the Idolatrous Monuments brought from the late Marques of Huntlie's house"; while a later minute remits "to the Ministers of Edinburgh to take course

1 Spalding, Memorialls of the Trubles in Scotland, ed. J. Stuart, vol. i. pp. 297-8, 305-6, 314-o. 2 History of Scots Affairs, vol. iii. p. 211. 1 Spalding's Trubles, . 417 volpp . , 424ii . , 428. , Gordon's Sritane's Distemper,. 93 . p E ARCHITECTURATH L HISTOR F HUNTLYO Y CASTLE3 16 . wit e Monumentth h f Idolatrio s e brought fro e North."e mth th t A 1 en f Jundo e 165 e castl0th e receive a dbrie f visit from Charles II.n o , his way to defeat at Worcester. longeo castle n Aftes th Civie r ewa th inhabiter Wa l Huntle th y db y family, and early in the eighteenth century was in great decay, and providing material for predatory housebuilders in the village. In 1746 s brieflwa t yi occupie y Governmenb d t troops s finaIt . l destruction dates from 1752, when the widow of the third , having married again, rebuilt her jointure house at Sandiestone as Huntly Lodge out of the ruins of the ancient pile. Thereafter it became a common quarry e countrysidefoth r r examplefo : . Shearer records that "the fine sandstone steps of the great staircase were carried off, and made into corner stones for a miserable granary in Huntly," while remaine e courtyarth th f o s d building build san twer p intu eog "du park walls."2 In recent times a considerable amount of repairing has been inter- mittently effected, thanks to which, and the enduring masonry, the ruins generall n faii re ar conditiony . Nothing, however s beeha , n done since befor e warth e tha o s e building, th t urgenn i e sar t neef o d attention. Some of the chimneys and wall-heads are in a dangerous condition, there are one or two serious cracks in the side -walls, certain lintels and rear arches are breached, the main vaults are leaking, and, particularn i e beautifuth , l carved work sorely lacks protectionw No . that the castle, by the gift of its noble owner, has become the property of the State, it is to be hoped that steps will be taken to ensure the preservatio f thino s historic pild splendian e d reli f ancienco t Scottish architecture. It is a pleasure to conclude this paper by expressing my warm thank Duff. A Mo . st ,rT factor, Gordon-Richmond Estates Office, Huntly, who kindly granted . Norriaccesfriende castley W th m r o o t set M s ; anr J. dM B . Smith, Aberdeen r valuablfo , e assistanc makinn i e e gth measured drawings; and to Mr Norrie and Mr J. Wilson Paterson, M.B.E., A.R.I.B.A., F.S.A. Scot. f H.Mo , . Offic f Workso e , Edinburghr fo , their beautiful photographs. 1 Records of the Kirk of Scotland, ed. A. Peterkin, p. 482, Nos. 109, 133. * Huntly Castle, p. 15.