Inverugie Castle 

From Boddam we next made our way to Inverugie Castle. The castle is located through a winding backway of houses widening just in front of the remains of the castle. The tour buses had already arrived filled with their Keith cargo. The Keith Highlanders were just preparing to pipe as we entered the castle's enclosure. Inverugie, the last Scottish home of the last Earl Marischal.

Photo 1: The Keith Highlanders Pipe Band begin to play on the green in front of Inverugie Castle

Photo 2: Keith Highlanders Pipe Band

Photo 3: Lord  Kintore and Lt. to the Chief (with banner) reviewing the Keith Highlanders Pipe Band

Photo 4: Lord Kintore and his Lt. in front of Inverugie Castle

Photo 5: Highland Dancers ready to perform for Lord Kintore

Photo 6: Lord Kintore and Lt. reviewing the Highland Dancers

Photo 7: Highland Dancers in mid-leap

Photo 8: Lord and Lady Kintore presenting gifts of appreciation to the current owners of Inverugie Castle

Photo 9: Commemorative print of Inverugie Castle made especially for the occasion from the original painting by Mr. John Mitchell now owned by the Earl & Countess of Kintore.

Inverugie Castle Information

Inverugie village, 2 miles north of Peterhead.(NK103484)  Inverugie Castle dates mostly to the 16^th century but does incorporate some earlier work. The oblong tower-house, occupying the east side of the courtyard, once rose to four stories plus an attic but only the basement survives. Projecting round towers at both the eastern angles probably rose a story higher, there was also round stair tower on the west side. The ground floor consists of a series of vaulted cellars, one of which housed the kitchen and was linked to the hall above by a private stair in thickness of the wall. The main entrance to the hall was on the first floor and was reached by a forestair from the courtyard. The hall occupied the whole of the first floor and was lit by four large windows set in arched recesses, form one recess led the private stair to the kitchen, the fireplace was at the north end. 
The upper floors were reached from a turnpike stair which rose from the forestair landing. Both the round towers contained small square rooms, and each had its own turnpike stair. The castle was entered through a highly decorative arched gate, over which were the arms of the Earl Marischal. A low wall, with decorative coping, ran south from this enclosing a small outer courtyard or garden. From here an arched passage gave access to main courtyard, completed by ranges of two storey buildings along the north and south sides.

From: Calendonian Castles

Inverugie Castle
Alternative Names: Cheyne's Tower 

Type of Site: Residential/ Tower-House 

Inverugie Castle, probably late 16th century or early 17th century, is an oblong building with two round towers, one at the NE and the other at the SE corner. It was partly demolished in 1899: the whole interior is ruinous and the NE tower a total ruin. 

An ornamented arched gateway, attached to the S tower, bearing the date 1670, leads into a small courtyard and beyond this an overhead pend leads into a large courtyard flanked on the N and S by ranges of two story buildings. One of the towers is known as the Cheyne tower and traditionally part of the castle structure is dated to the 13th or 14th century, but no part of the existing building can be referred to this period. 

Inverugie Castle, a ruined tower house with two ruined towers at its NE and SE angles. MacGibbon and Ross's plan shows much more than exists now. The buildings which flank the large courtyard appear to be of more recent date than the castle and are possibly associated with the renovation by Ferguson. No trace of the 1670 gateway.