Tillyhilt Castle

Tillyhilt Castle stands in the rolling farmland of Aberdeenshire, 6.5 miles west of Ellon and 1 mile northwest of Tarves. A 16th-century tower house, it was built for the Gordon family after John Gordon acquired the land in 1575. The site is recognised by Canmore as a medieval castle, though only traces remain today. A short stretch of the west wall survives, rising no higher than 0.7 metres. To the east lies a low turf-covered mound of rubble about 10 metres wide. The castle’s modest remains hint at a once larger structure. Earlier evidence suggests two towers once rose from the site. The building is thought not to have exceeded 30 feet in length. Despite its ruined state, the place still carries the name of a powerful Scottish family. The Gordons held the land for centuries, leaving their mark on the landscape. Visitors find little more than the low stone footings and the grassy mound where walls once stood. The quiet fields around the site stretch away to distant horizons. No grand halls or furnished chambers survive, only the footprint of a past residence. The low walls and rubble mark where life once centred in this corner of Aberdeenshire. The scene is peaceful, with no modern intrusions nearby.