Huntly Castle - Huntly, Scotland, UK
Posted by: 
tmob
N 57° 27.272 W 002° 46.936
30V E 513065 N 6368004
Huntly Castle is a ruined castle located in Huntly in Aberdeenshire
Waymark Code: WMF7PF
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/06/2012
Views: 4
«The castle we see today was built by the Gordon family. There have been two other buildings on the site; the 12th century Peel of Strathbogie and a stone tower. In the early 15th century a large stone tower house was built to replace the earlier timber structure. It was burnt during the struggles against the 'Black' Douglas family in 1452, but was repaired and gradually extended to include the buildings we see today. In 1496 James IV attended the wedding of Lady Catherine Gordon and Perkin Warbeck, pretender to the English throne of Henry VII.
The wealthy and powerful George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, known as the 'Cock of the North', remodelled the castle in time for a visit by Mary of Guise, mother of Mary Queen of Scots. She was impressed but advised that the cock's wings be 'clipped' lest he become a threat. The 1st Marquess of Huntly completed the castle in 1606. His marriage to Lady Henrietta Stewart is celebrated in the 17.7 metre long inscription across the upper windows probably inspired by the Chateau of Blois in France. After the execution of the 2nd Marquess in 1647 the castle became neglected. It was occupied by Government troops during the 1745 Jacobite rising but after this it became little more than a source of stone. Now in the care of Historic Scotland.»
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