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01 / THE STORY
Auchindoun Castle: history and highlights
Above Glen Fiddich, the ruins of Auchindoun Castle rise from a hill shaped by much older defences. The surviving tower and courtyard walls bring together the stories of a medieval residence, feuding families and a landscape occupied long before the castle was built.
An older defensive landscape
The castle stands within the banks and ditches of a prehistoric fort. These earthworks give the site a history extending far beyond the stone walls.
The surviving L-plan tower house dates from the later 15th century. Its vaulted spaces and enclosing walls show how the building combined a defended residence with a courtyard.
Ogilvys, Gordons and a troubled century
The Ogilvys of Deskford held Auchindoun in the early 16th century. In 1567 it was sold to Sir Adam Gordon, but by 1594 it had returned to Ogilvy hands. The identity of its original builder remains uncertain; traditional attributions should be treated with care.
In 1592 Auchindoun was burned during the violent feuds involving the Gordons and Mackintoshes. By 1725 the castle was derelict, and William Duff of Braco was permitted to take stone from it for his new house at Balvenie.
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