Nine castles of the Knuckle


The nine castles of the Knuckle are a group of ancient castles found in Aberdeenshire in the Buchan area of Scotland. The term was used by historian William Douglas Simpson, who described the promontory between the Moray Firth and the North Sea as "the north-eastern knuckle of Scotland". From west to east, the castles are Dundarg, Pitsligo, Pitullie, Kinnaird, Wine Tower, Cairnbulg, Inverallochy, Lonmay and Rattray. Although Simpson coined the term, he did not draw any connections between the sites, other than their location.
CastleImageOS Grid ReferenceBuilt byConstruction dateDestruction dateCurrent condition
Cairnbulg CastleComyn family; rebuilt by Fraser Family13th century; rebuilt c.1380N/AInhabited
Dundarg CastleComyn family 13th century1334Ruin
Inverallochy CastleComyn familyRuin, few remains
Kinnaird CastleAlexander Fraser of Philorth1570N/AConverted into lighthouse
Lonmay CastleNo remains
Pitsligo CastleFraser family1424Ruin
Pittulie Castle16th centuryRuin
Castle of RattrayComyn family Late 12th or early 13th century15th centuryNo remains
WinetowerUnknown16th centuryN/APreserved