Scotland · Restored
Udny Castle
Udny Castle is a medieval Scottish tower house sited on high ground in Aberdeenshire that remained in the Udny family for centuries. The extant five-storey tower house has later baronial alterations and a 19th‑century mansion wing was added in the 1870s (later demolished in the 1960s). The original keep was restored in the 1960s and is a Category A listed building.
Its prime
1875
Today
Restored
As it stood in 1875
What Udny Castle looked like in its prime.
A tall, rectangular five‑storey harled tower house with thick walls and a simple vertical silhouette; pale grey harl render covers the masonry. Each upper corner is finished with a round angle turret topped by a conical slate roof and finial, with corbelled bartizans projecting beneath. Narrow rectangular and multi‑pane sash windows punctuate the elevations. Chimneys and a steep gabled top rise above the attic keep; the tower stands alone on a flat lawn of elevated ground.
Its story
The story of Udny Castle.
Udny Castle in Aberdeenshire was probably first built by the Udny family in the late 14th or early 15th century, and stands on the highest ground of the parish, visible from a considerable distance. The harled tower rises five storeys on walls eight feet thick; an extra storey with bartizans was added in the 17th century, and the full-width first-floor hall, reached by a turnpike stair, was given a Jacobean-style ceiling in the Victorian era.
The Udnys also owned Knockhall Castle and lived there until it was destroyed by fire in 1734, Jamie Fleeman, the Laird's fool, saved the family papers, after which they returned to Udny. The family's ownership ran for several centuries, recorded in 1887 under John Hay Udny; one disputed inheritance reached the House of Lords, which ruled that John Henry, though illegitimate at birth, was legitimated by his parents' subsequent marriage and could inherit the estate.
A wing described as a "modern mansion" was added in the 1870s and demolished in the 1960s, when the original keep was restored. Robert Udny-Hamilton, 11th Lord Belhaven and Stenton, died in the castle in 1950, aged 79. It is a Category A listed building.
Step inside
9 places to explore in 1875.
The record describes 9 distinct spots at Udny Castle, including 3 interiors: vaulted basement, great hall (first floor), turnpike stairway. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
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Clans who held Udny Castle.
The families that held Udny Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.
Udny
The Udny family built the tower in the late 14th or early 15th century and held it for several centuries, still recorded in their ownership in 1887.
From the archive
Udny Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.
The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.
Fig. 511. — Udny Castle. Plans.
1887 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 2 (1887)
Public domain
FIG. 512. — Udny Castle. West and South Elevations.
1887 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 2 (1887)
Public domain
