Scheduled Monument
Balvenie CastleSM90028
Status: Designated
Documents
Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).
The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.
Summary
- Date Added
- 30/04/1920
- Last Date Amended
- 03/11/1999
- Type
- Secular: castle
- Local Authority
- Moray
- Parish
- Mortlach
- NGR
- NJ 32598 40894
- Coordinates
- 332598, 840894
Description
The monument comprises the remains of a castle of 13th- to 16th-century date. It is in the care of the Secretary of State for Scotland and is being re-scheduled to clarify the extent of the protected area.
The monument lies on a promontory above the River Fiddich, at around 150m OD. It comprises the remains of Balvenie Castle. Sub-rectangular on plan, it measures approximately 55m NW-SE by about 40m transversely, surrounded on the NW and SW by a ditch measuring about 12m wide with vertical, stone revetted sides.
The earliest remains of the castle probably date to the latter half of the thirteenth century. They comprise the remains of a castle of enceinte, represented by a quadrangular curtain wall measuring about 2m thick and up to about 10m high, enclosed by a berm and a wide ditch. The castle had salient towers at the W and N corners, and probably on the E. The ditch survives on the NW and SW; on the NE it has been replaced by a cultivation terrace, while on the SE it appears to have been filled in. The footings of buildings against the inside faces of the NW, SW and SE walls of the courtyard probably date to the late 14th century or early 15th century. Under John Stewart, 4th earl of Atholl (1542-79), however, a three storey lodging (the Atholl Lodging) was built in the NE part of the SE range, with a rounded tower protruding from its E corner.
The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related material may be expected to be found. It is irregular with maximum dimensions of 120m from its northernmost point to its southernmost point and 170m from its easternmost point to its westernmost point, bounded for most of its perimeter by a fence, the above-ground elements of which are specifically excluded from the present rescheduling, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The scheduling excludes the modern building erected as a custodian's hut and also the top 30cm of the modern road and carpark surfaces to allow for maintenance.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
About Scheduled Monuments
Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.
We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.
Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)
Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the
scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).
The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.
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