Badenyon Castle

Badenyon Castle stands in Aberdeenshire, about twelve kilometres west of Kildrummy, beside Coulins Burn. Built in the 13th century, it was once the home of John O’Badenyon and later the residence of the Gordons of Glenbuchat. By the 16th century the family moved to Glenbuchat Castle, leaving Badenyon to decline. By 1898 only a few pieces of sandstone and a recessed door remained. The castle once had a tower and a defensive ditch called a fosse. The site is now hard to pinpoint because so little survives. A door hinge from the castle was kept in a nearby steading. Tradition says the castle was the property of John O’Badenyon in the 13th century. The Gordons of Glenbuchat used it before building their own castle in 1590. After centuries of use, the remains faded into the landscape. Visitors today walk the quiet countryside near Coulins Burn. A few stones and a doorframe mark where the castle once stood. The area feels remote and peaceful, far from modern roads. The land slopes gently toward the burn, giving a sense of the castle’s old position. The only trace of its defences is the memory of the fosse. The steading nearby keeps the old hinge as a quiet reminder of the past.