Hallforest Castle

Hallforest Castle stands in Aberdeenshire, a plain oblong tower built in the 14th century. It lies about two and a half kilometres from Kintore and is one of the oldest keeps in Scotland. The building is also known as the Castle of Hallforrest, Hall Forest Castle or Hallforrest. Robert the Bruce is believed to have constructed it as a hunting lodge and granted it to Robert II Keith, Marischal of Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scots visited in 1562 during her travels through the region. The castle endured frequent attacks in the 17th century and may have been abandoned soon after. It remains in the possession of the Earls of Kintore to this day. The structure measures fifteen metres long and eleven metres wide, with walls over two metres thick. Originally it had six floors, a parapet and a stone roof supported by an upper arch. Two vaults were divided by entresol floors, and the entrance led to the first entresol level. Visitors find a ruinous interior with small gun loops in the basement and windows on the south side. There are no masonry stairs; ladders and hatches would have been used instead. Traces of an enclosing wall lie to the north, and possible remains of a ditch or moat can be seen to the north-west. The castle is recognised as a category B listed building, preserving its historic significance.