Dunnideer Castle is a ruined
tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...
near
Insch
Insch () is a village in the Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located approximately from the city of Aberdeen.
History
Insch is home to the Picts, Pictish Picardy Stone which is one of the oldest Pictish stone, Pictish symbol stones ...
,
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. Built around 1260, it reused stone from an earlier prehistoric
vitrified
Vitrification (, via French ') is the full or partial transformation of a substance into a glass, that is to say, a non- crystalline or amorphous solid. Glasses differ from liquids structurally and glasses possess a higher degree of connectivity ...
hillfort
A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...
dating to approximately 250 BC. The tower measured 15 by 12.5 metres (49 by 41 ft) with walls 1.9 metres (6.2 ft) thick, likely featuring a first-floor hall and multiple stories.
History
The site's hillfort was excavated by archaeologist Murray Cook, revealing evidence of an Iron Age settlement later repurposed for medieval fortification. The castle itself, now a crumbling stone shell, is a
scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
managed by Historic Environment Scotland.
In 2024, the Insch Connection Museum unveiled a 1:150 scale model of the castle as it may have appeared in the 16th century, created by Clive Metcalfe - a founding member of
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
and renowned artist. The model, based on research by historian Dr Colin Harris, forms the centerpiece of the museum's exhibition, "The Castle of Dunnydure," which has attracted record visitor numbers.
The exhibition highlights the castle's significance as potentially the earliest tower house on mainland Scotland and its links to Sir John de Balliol, King of Scots (1292-1296).
Current Status
The site remains open to the public, offering panoramic views of Aberdeenshire. The Insch Connection Museum continues to advocate for an on-site museum to display local artifacts.
See also
*
List of castles in Scotland
*
Vitrified fort
References
External links
Canmore record for Dunnideer Castle
Historic Environment Scotland entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunnideer Castle
Castles in Aberdeenshire
Ruined castles in Scotland
Scheduled monuments in Aberdeenshire
Hill forts in Scotland
13th-century establishments in Scotland