Lonmay Castle
| Lonmay Castle | |
|
Aberdeenshire | |
|---|---|
 Netherton of Lonmay | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NK062608 |
| Location: | 57°38’16"N, 1°53’49"W |
| History | |
| Information | |
| Condition: | Buried ruins |
Castle of Lonmay is a bare ruin beneath the dunes to the north of Loch Strathbeg in the Buchan area of Aberdeenshire. The ruins are not located in the modern village of Lonmay, which is about four miles to the south-west, but by Netherton of Lonmay.
The castle was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of north-east Aberdeenshire.[1]
Dating from the 13th century, Lonmay was home to the Fraser family.[2]
The castle fell long since and there are very few remains to be found, all of which are buried under constantly shifting sand dunes that have over time engulfed the site.
The castle provided protection to the north-shore of the estuary that used to flow into Strathbeg Bay, before it closed off forming Loch Strathbeg around 1720. The south-shore (with Starny Keppie harbour and the village of Rattray) was protected by the Castle of Rattray.
The remains are found in the Links, near the sea.[3] however it is reported that all the stones have been carried off, and employed in building farm-houses..
References
- ↑ Simpson, W.D. (1949). "Cairnbulg Castle, Aberdeenshire". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 83: 32–44. http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_083/83_032_044.pdf.
- ↑ Coventry, Martin: 'Castles of Scotland'
- ↑ Society for the Benefit of the Sons and Daughters of the Clergy (1845). "The New Statistical Account of Scotland". https://books.google.com/books?id=6RkvAAAAMAAJ&q=Lonmay+Castle&pg=PA224. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
| The Nine Castles of the Knuckle, Aberdeenshire |
|---|
|
Cairnbulg Castle • Dundarg Castle • Inverallochy Castle • Kinnaird Castle • Lonmay Castle • Pitsligo Castle • Pittulie Castle • Castle of Rattray • Winetower |
