Old Slains Castle

Old Slains Castle stands in ruins on a cliff near Collieston in Aberdeenshire. Built originally in the 13th century as a fortress, most of what remains dates from the 15th century. The castle belonged first to the Comyn family before passing to Sir Gilbert Hay, rewarded by Robert the Bruce. In 1594 it was partly destroyed by gunpowder and cannon on the orders of James VI. Two walls meeting at a corner survived the explosion, while the Countess of Erroll later tried to repair the damage without success. The site is worth visiting for its dramatic history and surviving structures. The castle was at the centre of a Catholic rebellion led by Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll, which ended after the Battle of Glenlivet. Aberdeen Council spent 548 pounds six shillings on demolition, sending stonemason John Fraser and workmen with gunpowder and tools. The Countess moved into a nearby farmhouse and lived there under the name “Guidwife of Clochtow.” Two sections of wall still stand about 25 metres high, though one partly collapsed in 1979. Visitors find two standing walls and the remains of the old keep. A 3-storey house was built inside the ruins in the 1950s, next to an 18th-century fishing cottage. Archaeologists have carried out excavations, the last in 2007, and the site is protected as a scheduled monument. The cliffs overlook the North Sea, and the fishing village of Collieston lies nearby. The castle’s story connects to local fishing traditions and later literary works about its secret past.