Colquhonnie Castle

The castle belonged to the Forbeses of Towie. Because three of the lairds were killed when overseeing its construction, it was never finished, according to tradition, but this is disputed. Until 1507 Colquhonnie was a part of the lordship of Strathdon, when it was granted to Alexander Elphinstone, 1st Lord Elphinstone. It later came into the possession of the Forbeses of Towie, and was listed as a gentleman's seat in 1724.

This L-plan castle was on a moderately steep south-facing slope, at an altitude of 285 m. It measures a maximum of 13.7 m from east to west by 12 m; the walls were about 1.4 m thick. The entrance, in the south wall, opened into a lobby from which access could be gained to the three basement rooms on either side, and to the first floor by stairs that lay straight ahead. The vaulted basement rooms were lit by slit windows, several of which have been subsequently widened. The kitchen occupies the basement room to the north-west, and has a large fireplace on the north and a slop on the west. There is also a narrow cellar while the two other rooms were used for storage. The first-floor hall…