Balquhain Castle
| Balquhain Castle | |
|---|---|
| West of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire | |
Ruins of Balquhain Castle in 2018 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Tower house |
| Controlled by | Clan Leslie |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 57°18′08″N 2°26′50″W / 57.302225°N 2.447087°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 15th century |
| Built by | Clan Leslie |
| Demolished | 1746 |
| Official name | Balquhain Castle |
| Type | Secular: barmkin; castle; tower |
| Designated | 30 July 1938 |
| Reference no. | SM90 |
Balquhain Castle is a ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the stronghold of the Leslies of Balquhain. The castle is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of Inverurie, and is protected as a scheduled monument.[1]
History
The castle was built in the 14th century and held by the Leslie family from 1340.[2] On 5 July 1441, John Leslie of Balquhain made an indenture with four masons, David Hardgat, David Dun, Robert Masoun and Gilbert Masoun that they would complete his building work.[3]
The castle was sacked during a feud with the Forbes family in 1526.[2] The castle was rebuilt in 1530. On 1 September 1562, Mary Queen of Scots stayed at the castle prior to the Battle of Corrichie.[4][5]
In March 1563, Queen Mary forgave William Leslie, laird of Balquhain, for his dealings with the George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly.[6] She wrote to him make provisions for her when she visited again in August 1564.[7]
The placename was sometime written as "Boquhane". In 1588, John Leslie, laird of Balquhain, was involved unsuccessfully in a fishing dispute, supporting the rights of Thomas Leslie of Banff against burgesses in Aberdeen. John Leslie's son fought with some men from Aberdeen and the families of the wounded men protested with bloody shirts or sarks. The dispute was settled by James VI and the Earl of Huntly.[8]
John Leslie of Balquhain was accused of adultery with Janet Hunter in Aberdeen.[9] He employed a nurse for his children called Bessie Roy. In 1590, she was involved in a trial for witchcraft and was acquitted. Among the accusations, it was said she had caused the death of a woman using a "plaid full of enchantments and sorcery".[10][11][12]
The castle was burned by the forces of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland in 1746 and was abandoned.
The castle
The tower measures 13.75 by 8.75 metres (45.1 by 28.7 ft), and is surrounded by the remains of a barmkin.[1]
Notes
- ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland. "Balquhain Castle (SM90)". Retrieved 8 March 2019.
- ^ a b Coventry, p.329.
- ^ John Stuart, Extracts from the council registers of Aberdeen (Spalding Club, 1844), p. 397, note of the indenture recorded 23 June 1442.
- ^ W. A. Gatherer, The Tyrannous Reign of Mary Stewart : George Buchanan's Account (Edinburgh, 1958), p. 73.
- ^ Charles Joseph Leslie, Historical Records of the Family of Leslie, 1 (Edinburgh, 1869), p. 103.
- ^ James Beveridge and Gordon Donaldson, Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, 5:1 (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1957), p. 340 no. 1271.
- ^ Michael Pearce, "Account of George Wishart of Drymme", Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, 17 (Edinburgh: SHS, 2025), p. 31.
- ^ Keith M. Brown, "Burgh, Lords and Feuds", Michael Lynch, The Early Modern Town in Scotland (Croom Helm, 1987), pp. 106–108.
- ^ Keith M. Brown, "Burgh, Lords and Feuds", Michael Lynch, The Early Modern Town in Scotland (Croom Helm, 1987), p. 107.
- ^ George F. Black, "A Calendar of Witchcraft Cases in Scotland", Brian P. Levack, Witchcraft in Scotland (Garland, 1992), p. 151.
- ^ Bessie Roy: The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft
- ^ Robert Chambers, Domestic Annals of Scotland, 2 (Edinburgh, 1874), pp. 206–207.
References
- Coventry, Martin (2010). Castles of the Clans; The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans (Reprint ed.). Musselburgh, Scotland: Goblinshead. ISBN 978-1-899874-36-1.
External links
- https://web.archive.org/web/20060820100206/http://www.clanleslie.org/Castles4.html
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Balquhain Castle (Site no. NJ72SW 5)".