Auchanachie Castle

Auchanachie Castle stands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, five miles north-west of Huntly. A tower house from the sixteenth century, it began as a tall tower before a seventeenth-century extension reduced its height. The Gordons of Avochie once owned the castle, and it remains in the family today. Part of the building has been modernised and is still lived in by descendants. The castle’s structure includes three storeys and a two-storey eastern extension at right angles. A large circular stair tower sits in the angle, with shot holes under the eaves and arrow-slit windows. The east front features a massive chimney stack, though the fireplace has been closed. Above the stack is a doorway inscribed with the words ‘From our enemies defend us, O Christ’. A vaulted basement and a small vaulted hall on the first floor are reached by a step turnpike stair. The building has been renovated and harled, and a seventeenth-century circular dovecot stands in the grounds. The castle is a category A listed building, recognised for its historical significance. Its arms bosses display the heraldry of Campbell, Fraser and Gordon, reflecting its past connections. The dovecot and the castle’s defensive features add to its architectural interest.