Hatton Castle, Aberdeenshire
| Hatton Castle, Aberdeenshire | |
|---|---|
Hatton Castle in 2008 | |
Interactive map of Hatton Castle, Aberdeenshire | |
Hatton Castle is almost three miles (4.8 km) south-east of Turriff, Aberdeenshire in the north-east of Scotland. Formerly known as Balquholly Castle, sometimes spelt as Balquollie, it was renamed in 1814. The 17,994 square feet (1,671.7 m2) mansion was designated a category A listed building in 1972; the gardens are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.[1][2]
History
In the early 14th century Robert the Bruce granted the lands, then known as Loscraigie, to Patrick de Monte Alto.[3] Mowat is the anglicisation of de Monte Alto.[4] The Balquholly name was adopted some time before the 16th century.[5] Records indicate there was a castle (spelt Balquholy) on the lands in the early 1500s, but it is likely it may have an earlier date.[6] Purchased by Alexander Duff of Hatton in 1709, although the contracts were not finalised until 1729.[6]
Ownership remained with members of the family into the 21st century. However, the estate was sold in 2020 to an undisclosed buyer.[7]
Mansion house
Construction of the present castellated mansion began in 1812 and was completed by 1814;[8] it was at this time the name was changed to Hatton Castle.[9] It has a round tower at each corner and incorporates sections of the ancient building.[9][a] The stone-built mansion has three storeys plus a basement and an attic.[10] A wine cellar and gun room are in the basement.[10] The ground floor hall has a glass cupola set above a stone staircase that provides access to the first floor.[10] There are two bedrooms on the first floor and seven on the second floor;[10] the attic contains four additional bedrooms, a bathroom and storage space.[10]
The mansion was designated a category A listed building by Historic Scotland on 28 November 1972.[11] The gardens are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland and assessed under the historical and architectural sections as outstanding.[6]
A baluster sundial dates to 1703. It is a cube with hollowed arrises sitting on a pyramid.[9] There is also a late-18th-century coach house, rectangular in form, and a square home farm designed by W Leslie in 1828. A T-plan buttress Gothic mausoleum, 1861, is the work of A & W Reid.[9]
References
Notes
- ^ McKean quotes "Hatton embraces a substantial part of the ancient house and strong castle of Balquollie"; other reports vary.
Citations
- ^ "Hatton Castle | Place | trove.scot". Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Hatton Castle from The Gazetteer for Scotland". Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ Baptie (2000), p. 1
- ^ Groat (1831), p. 18
- ^ Baptie (2000), p. 2
- ^ a b c Historic Environment Scotland, "Hatton Castle (GDL00399)", retrieved 28 March 2019
- ^ Ross, Jamie (24 August 2016). "North-east castle still on the market". Press and Journal. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ "Hatton Castle, ID:19139", RCAHMS, archived from the original on 12 June 2022, retrieved 27 August 2014
- ^ a b c d McKean (1990), p. 69
- ^ a b c d e "Hatton Castle, Aberdeenshire" (PDF), Savills, archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2015, retrieved 11 October 2015
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland, "Hatton Castle (Category A Listed Building LB16431)", retrieved 28 March 2019
Bibliography
- Baptie, Diane (2000), A Lairdship Lost: The Mowats of Balquholly, 1309-1736, Tuckwell Press, ISBN 978-1-86232-052-9
- Groat, Alexander G. (1831), Thoughts on Orkney and Zetland: Their Antiquities and Capabilities of Improvement
- McKean, Charles (1990), Banff & Buchan, Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, ISBN 978-1-85158-231-0