Knockhall Castle is a historic

Scottish castle Scottish castles are buildings that combine fortifications and residence, built within the borders of modern Scotland. Castles arrived in Scotland with the introduction of feudalism in the twelfth century. Initially these were wooden motte-and- ...

near to Newburgh,

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially different boundaries. The Aberdeenshire Council area incl ...

. It was built by William Sinclair, 5th Lord Sinclair of Newburgh in 1565 for his eldest son

Henry Sinclair, 6th Lord Sinclair Henry Sinclair (died 1601) was a Scottish nobleman and the 6th Lord Sinclair. In '' The Scots Peerage'' by James Balfour Paul he is designated as the 5th Lord Sinclair in descent starting from William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness and 3rd Earl ...

James VI James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

stayed on 9 July 1589. There is a stone door lintel carved with the date '1589 'in memorial of the royal visit.It was purchased by

Clan Udny Clan Udny is a Scottish armigerous clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chi ...

, who moved into the castle in 1634. The building was damaged in 1639 when taken by the

Earl Marischal The title of Earl Marischal was created in the Peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland. History The office of Marischal of Scotland (or ''Marascallus Scotie'' or ''Marscallus Scotiae'') had been hereditary, held b ...

for the

Covenanter Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from '' Covena ...

s, but was later returned to Udny hands. The Clan remained in the castle until 1734, when an accidental fire gutted the building and the Clan moved back to their other property,

Udny Castle Udny may refer to: * Udny Station, a small village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland * Udny Green, a hamlet in Aberdeenshire, Scotland * Clan Udny, a Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland * Udny Yule (1871–1951), British statistician See also ...

Jamie Fleeman Jamie Fleeman or Fleeming (1713–1778) was better known as "the Laird of Udny's Fool" or "the Laird of Udny's Fule" in the Scots language. Although described as a fool, he had a reputation for his clever, witty repartee and many anecdotal tales ...

, the Laird of Udny's fool, is credited with saving the life of the family in the fire. The castle remains a ruin to this day and is designated 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 and d ...

. Reports in late 2019 indicated that the castle was for sale but redevelopment would require planning permission.A stunning Scottish castle for sale at less than the cost of a luxury car
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References

Houses completed in 1565 Ruined castles in Aberdeenshire 1565 establishments in Scotland Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Aberdeenshire {{Scotland-castle-stub