Note on Recent Excavations at Kildrummy Castle

Abstract

The castle was erected by Gilbert de Moravia, Bishop of Caithness, between 1223 and 1245, at the orders of Alexander II and entrusted to the hereditary wardenship of the local feudal landholders, the Earls of Mar. It is one of the most splendid examples of a great medieval fortress in Scotland, and is distinguished by its unusual size and architectural development. The ruins consist of a high and massive wall of enceinte, enclosing a spacious court, and defended by six strong round towers, of which two flanked the great gateway in the south front, while a third at the north-west corner, much larger than the others, and known as the Snow Tower, was the donjon. Excavation focussed on the foundations of the gatehouse. The great well in the Snow Tower was also investigated.