Two exceptional earthen mounds preserve the form of a twelfth-century timber castle beside the rivers Don and Urie.
Quick facts
- Date
- Twelfth century
- Architect / designer
- Medieval builders not identified
- Type
- Motte-and-bailey castle earthworks
- Designation
- Scheduled monument (SM99)
- OS grid reference
- NJ 78111 20602
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The western motte rises steeply to a flattened summit, while the lower oval bailey retains platforms that may mark former buildings. A later path separates the mounds, but their scale and relationship remain unusually clear.
Its story
The castle became an administrative centre for the Garioch during the spread of feudal lordship in twelfth-century Scotland. Landscaping and burial altered parts of the site in the nineteenth century, when excavation also revealed timber and pottery.
Why it is included
Scheduling recognises an exceptionally well-preserved motte-and-bailey with strong potential for buried structures, artefacts and environmental evidence.
What to notice
- The height contrast between motte and bailey.
- Level platforms that may represent timber buildings.
- The strategic position near the meeting of two rivers.
Reading the surroundings
Use cemetery paths and behave respectfully around graves, funerals and mourners. Do not climb steep or closed slopes, dig, detect or disturb the earthworks; follow council signs and staff guidance.
Timeline
- 1100s A timber castle established a centre of lordship in the Garioch.
- 1883 Excavation exposed an oak gangway on the motte’s southern face.
- 1969 The earthworks entered the modern schedule of protected monuments.
- 2021 Rescheduling clarified the full protected area and modern exclusions.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The outline of timber buildings is inferred from earthworks and buried evidence; cemetery management may temporarily alter access.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: The Bass and Little Bass, SM99 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: SM99 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
Location
OS grid reference NJ 78111 20602 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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