Boyne Castle, Aberdeenshire
Photo © Anne burgess, 2 July 2007
Boyne Castle, Aberdeenshire
Photo © Anne burgess, 2 July 2007
Boyne Castle, Aberdeenshire Photo © Anne burgess, 2 July 2007 |
Boyne Castle, Aberdeenshire Photo © Anne burgess, 2 July 2007 |
BOYNE CASTLE, BANFFSHIRE.
This castle is of considerable interest, from the fact that at first sight it appears to differ essentially in plan from all the other castles of the period in the north of Scotland.
It occupies a strong and picturesque site, about two miles east from Portsoy, on the top of a precipitous promontory on the south side of the Boyne Water, at a point where the river makes a sudden bend in the deep and rocky dell through which it flows. The castle is thus well defended by the nature of the ground on the north, east, and west sides, while on the south side it is artificially protected by a dry moat nearly 60 feet wide.
The castle itself is evidently of one design, and has been built at one time. It consists of a courtyard, forming a parallelogram measuring 89 feet from north to south and 104 feet from east to west, with a projecting round tower 22 feet in diameter at each angle. The walls of enceinte vary, but average about 5 feet in thickness. There have been ranges of buildings on the east, west, and south sides of the quadrangle, but not, apparently, on the north side, which was enclosed with a wall. The walls of the west side are still standing, but those of the south side are greatly destroyed, while the eastern range has been almost entirely demolished.
Unfortunately the freestone dressings of the doors and windows have nearly, without a single exception, been torn out and removed, so that few details are left to enable a judgment to be formed of the style and date of the finishings.
In approaching the castle from the south or landward side, the ancient gardens and orchards are passed through, some of the walls of which still remain. The ground to the south is higher than the castle, hence the necessity for the wide sunken moat in front. This moat is crossed by a causeway on the level of the principal entrance, which is in the centre of the south front. The gateway is flanked by two circular towers, and was no doubt further protected by a drawbridge in the raised causeway. The entrance seems to have led to a vestibule connected with a circular staircase 10 feet 8 inches in diameter, leading to the great hall in the western range of buildings.
One of the towers at the entrance probably formed a guard-room, and the other contained a staircase to the defences above. The hall and withdrawing-room seem to have occupied the whole of the west range, with a private room off each in the angle towers. A small stair has been corbelled out in the angle of the south-west tower at a later date, which may have conducted to the owner's private apartments over the hall. But the first and upper floors are so entirely ruined internally that nothing can clearly be ascertained as to the arrangements. The basement floor of this range is the only part of the castle still in fair preservation, and is divided into vaulted cellars, each furnished with a door and window to the courtyard. The kitchen alone can be distinguished in the eastern range, from its fireplace being preserved.
The basement is well provided with defensive shot-holes, each angle tower having four so placed that the adjoining walls on each side are well flanked. One embrasure in the west wall has the outer splayed opening divided into two by a pillar in the centre, as is not unfrequently the case in sixteenth and seventeenth century work.
Little is known of the history of this building. The Thanedom of Boyne was granted by David n. in 1368 to Sir John Edmonstone. In I486 the estate passed by marriage to Sir John Ogilvie, in whose family it long remained. Sir George Ogilvie of Dunlugas acquired the estate in 1575 from the elder branch of the family, and it continued in his family till purchased by the Earl of Findlater in 1731.
It has been supposed by some, both from the antiquity of the barony and from the design of the edifice, which somewhat resembles the castles of the thirteenth century, with their great enclosing walls and towers, that the building is of very ancient date. There can be no doubt, however, from the style of the building, but that itjs of comparatively recent origin.
The remains of an older castle may be traced on a site nearer the sea, and this seems to have been the original fortress of the proprietors. The present castle would appear to have been built about the end of the sixteenth century in lieu of the older one, which was probably found too small and incommodious for the requirements of that period. As the property passed in 1575 to Sir George Ogilvie of Dunlugas, the new castle may have been erected by the new proprietor.
The plan is unusually complete, but the difference between this castle and many others of about the same size and of the above date arises from the fact that most of the castles of the period were enlargements of older buildings, and had to be designed to suit the existing structures.
But when the various parts are examined in detail, we find examples of almost every feature at Boyne in other castles of the same date. Thus at Tolquhan the entrance front has the gateway between two towers, and a larger tower at each angle of the front, that on the right being circular, and the other on the left square. Similar projecting round towers at the angles are common in all the "Quadrangular" castles of the time.
The shot-holes for small guns or muskets are almost the only details left at Boyne, but these point clearly, from their form, to the end of the sixteenth century. The divided port-hole above referred to is certainly a late feature. The corbelling at the level of the original parapet of the north-west tower (being the only ornamental feature left) is also characteristic of the same period.
Boyne Castle had the advantage of being designed for a new site, and the architect, being unhampered with existing buildings, has here shown us the plan of the castles then aimed at in the numerous additions and modifications which were carried out in James VI's time. It is also possible that it may have been designed in imitation of an early castle, with its walls of enceinte and round towers, to which it certainly bears a considerable resemblance. In any case the design is remarkable, and it is greatly to be regretted that this interesting edifice has been suffered to fall into such a state of decay.
It is now the property of the Earl of Seafield.