Knock Castle

Knock Castle is a ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. It stands on a knoll in a field on the south side of Craig of the Knock, a low hill at the entrance to Glen Muick. The castle is about a mile west of Ballater and six miles east of Balmoral in Royal Deeside. It was once the residence of a Scottish landed gentleman, a laird. The castle is a category B listed building and is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. Knock Castle dates from about 1600 and is a four-storey ruin. The rectangular tower measures about twenty-seven feet by twenty-two feet, with walls about four feet thick. The external walls survive intact though the tower is roofless. Inside, the remains of a vaulted basement used as a kitchen and a spiral turnpike staircase can still be seen. The castle has unusual defensive shot holes for pistols under its windows, angled to the ground. The foundations of an enclosing courtyard wall are still visible, with the entrance on the north side. Various outbuildings such as a brewery, stables or bake house would have stood around the courtyard. A short distance to the west is a motte with possible foundations of a 12th-century timber stronghold known as the Old Castle Knock. This was destroyed in 1590 by the Clan Chattan. The site shows evidence of a corn-drying kiln within.