Dunnideer Castle
{{Short description|Ruined tower house in Insch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Dunnideer Castle
| native_name =
| image = DunnideerCastleIMG 6275.jpg
| caption = Dunnideer Castle in February 2024
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
| coordinates = {{coord|57.342206|-2.6454686|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| location = Near Insch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
| built = c. 1260 (tower house)
c. 250 BC (hillfort)
| type = Tower house within vitrified hillfort
| architecture =
| governing_body = Historic Environment Scotland
| owner =
| website =
| designation1 = Scheduled Monument
| designation1_offname = Hill of Dunnideer
| designation1_type = Prehistoric domestic and defensive: fort (includes hill fort and promontory fort); platform settlement, Secular: tower
| designation1_date = 5 October 1934
| designation1_number = {{Historic Environment Scotland|num=SM95|short=yes}}
}}
Dunnideer Castle is a ruined tower house near Insch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Built around 1260, it reused stone from an earlier prehistoric vitrified hillfort dating to approximately 250 BC. The tower measured 15 by 12.5 metres (49 by 41 ft) with walls 1.9 metres (6.2 ft) thick, likely featuring a first-floor hall and multiple stories.{{Historic Environment Scotland|cat=PLA |num=18128 |num2=NJ62NW 1 |desc=Dunnideer Castle |access-date=24 June 2025}}
== History ==
The site's hillfort was excavated by archaeologist Murray Cook, revealing evidence of an Iron Age settlement later repurposed for medieval fortification.{{citation |last=Cook |first=M. |year=2010 |title=New Light on Oblong Forts: excavations at Dunnideer, Aberdeenshire |journal=Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland |volume=140 |pages=79-82}} The castle itself, now a crumbling stone shell, is a scheduled monument managed by Historic Environment Scotland.{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=SM95|desc=Hill of Dunnideer, fort, platform settlement and tower|access-date=2019-03-08}}
In 2024, the Insch Connection Museum unveiled a 1:150 scale model of the castle as it may have appeared in the 16th century, created by Clive Metcalfe - a founding member of Pink Floyd and renowned artist. The model, based on research by historian Dr Colin Harris, forms the centerpiece of the museum's exhibition, "The Castle of Dunnydure," which has attracted record visitor numbers.{{cite news |title=Revealed: What ruined Dunnideer Castle in Insch looked like 500 years ago |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/past-times/6441272/dunnideer-castle-insch-museum/ |work=Press and Journal |date=12 May 2025 |access-date=12 May 2025}} The exhibition highlights the castle's significance as potentially the earliest tower house on mainland Scotland and its links to Sir John de Balliol, King of Scots (1292-1296).
== Current Status ==
The site remains open to the public, offering panoramic views of Aberdeenshire. The Insch Connection Museum continues to advocate for an on-site museum to display local artifacts.{{cite news |title=Plans progress for museum at ancient Dunnideer Castle |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/past-times/6441272/dunnideer-castle-insch-museum/ |work=Press and Journal |date=12 May 2025 |access-date=12 May 2025}}
== See also ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
- [https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/hill-of-dunnideer-fort/ Historic Environment Scotland entry]
- [https://www.inschmuseum.org.uk/exhibitions.html Insch Connection Museum exhibitions]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunnideer Castle}}
Category:Castles in Aberdeenshire
Category:Ruined castles in Scotland
Category:Scheduled monuments in Aberdeenshire