Lonmay Castle
Encyclopedia
The remains of the Castle of Lonmay are found near Netherton of Lonmay, to the north of Loch Strathbeg
in Buchan
, Scotland
. The remains are not located in the modern village of Lonmay
which is approximately 6km to the south west.
It was one of the Nine Castles of Knuckle
and "may have been a motte". It has long ceased to be in existence 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" however "all the stones have been carried off, and employed in building farm-houses" and so "except the name, all tradition respecting this building is lost".
Loch Strathbeg
The Loch of Strathbeg is a designated Special Protection Area for wildlife conservation purposes...
in Buchan
Buchan
Buchan is one of the six committee areas and administrative areas of Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland. These areas were created by the council in 1996, when the Aberdeenshire unitary council area was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The remains are not located in the modern village of Lonmay
Lonmay
Lonmay is a village and parish in the Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies along the A90 road, between Peterhead and Fraserburgh, near to the junction with the A952 road at Cortes. The parish, formerly known as St Colms, encompasses the villages of St Combs and Crimond, as well as the...
which is approximately 6km to the south west.
It was one of the Nine Castles of Knuckle
The Nine Castles of Knuckle
The Nine Castles of Knuckle are a group of ancient castles found in the extinct area of "Knuckle", which today would be located on the very far corner of the north-east coast of Aberdeenshire in the Buchan area of Scotland.- External links :...
and "may have been a motte". It has long ceased to be in existence 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
Loch Strathbeg
The Loch of Strathbeg is a designated Special Protection Area for wildlife conservation purposes...
around 1720. The south-shore (with Starny Keppie harbour and the village of Rattray
Rattray, Aberdeenshire
Rattray , had been settled as far back as 4000 BC and was named a Royal Burgh in 1563 by Mary, Queen of Scots, "to put an end to the disputes about superiority over it between William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal and George Hay, 7th Earl of Erroll"...
) was protected by the Castle of Rattray
Castle of Rattray
The Castle of Rattray was a medieval Scottish castle, with multiple variations on its structure over approximately six centuries. Originally built as a "late 12th- or early 13th century defensive motte" it provided protection for Starny Keppie harbour and Rattray village...
.
The remains are found "in the Links
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
".. "near the sea" however "all the stones have been carried off, and employed in building farm-houses" and so "except the name, all tradition respecting this building is lost".
External links
- The Castle is not normally included on modern maps (Ordnance SurveyOrdnance SurveyOrdnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
grid-reference: ), but this 1931 OS map of the area shows the remains of Lonmay Castle to the north of Loch Strathbeg as "Site of Castle". - Images of the immediate local area (though not the castle site) from the Geograph project.