Our ‘Golden’ Summer Blog Series Part IX- Huntly Castle

*Join our wee Golden Retriever puppy, Arthur, as he excitedly writes his first blog post about a Scottish castle.

Arthur’s Travel Journal: Day 9- Huntly Castle

Well, it finally happened! Last night, after our trip to Elgin Cathedral, Walter told me that I’m going to get to write about my first castle. To say I am excited is an understatement- my little puppy heart has been beating like crazy all morning as we prepare for today’s trip to Huntly Castle.

As we approach the Castle, it may be raining, but I’m not going to let that get me down. However, I’m starting to feel the weight on my wee shoulders of taking on such a big task. I’m not sure if I’m ready to cover a castle, but Walter says I am. You can probably tell by the look on my face that I’m a bit nervous even though Dad has been trying to get me to smile. I might let Walter take the lead on the posing for some of the photos. That’ll give me a chance to collect my thoughts.

Mom and Dad are telling us about the history of this historical site as we walk around, and I’ll try to convey some of that to you. Apparently, there has been a castle here (in different forms) since the 12^th century. That’s very old- older than Walter! The most famous family to live here were the Gordons, and they arrived in the 1300s.

The palace block was built starting in 1450 but later remodelled. In the late 1500s/ early 1600s, Huntly started to take shape as a beautiful Renaissance palace. Mom told me that it’s a fascinating mix of French and Scottish architectural influences.

George Gordon, the 6^th Earl, wanted to celebrate his elevation to the marquisate of Huntly in 1599 and went about remodelling the Castle to reflect his new status. George, now 1^st Marquis, had travelled to France and this clearly inspired his renovations. The architectural changes at Huntly also showed his desire to create a building with classical features. You can see this with the great inscription he had carved into the stone on the south front of the Castle that used Roman lettering. The inscription proclaimed the rise of the Gordons from earls to marquises.

Do you see these cobblestones? Well, this is part of an ancient road that was used to lead into Huntly Castle until the 1600s. Pretty cool, huh? Walter just alerted me to the fact that there are squirrels nearby- he says one must always stay vigilant.

Walter is taking the lead as we make our way closer to the Castle.

I’m in full exploration mode as we examine the stone ruins, and I'm trying to impress Walter.

This was once the bakehouse, and it was a very important part of daily castle life as bread was the staple diet for those who lived here. If I close my eyes, I can just imagine the smell of the oatcakes, pastries, bread, and cakes baking in the beehive-shaped ovens.

With that delicious thought in mind, it’s time to move on. This was the brewhouse and another important part of such a large castle as Huntly. This is because everyone here drank ale. Now, I’m too young to understand the brewing process, but basically it got rid of the germs in the water which made ale safer to drink than plain water. To my relief, Mom assures me that the water Walter and I drink is clean and safe.

These ruins behind the bakehouse and brewhouse were once outbuildings.

Remember how I mentioned earlier that there has been a castle here since the 12^th century? Well, this mound - ‘the motte’- is where the first one was erected. I'm having a hard time picturing that because it just looks like a fun place to climb and play nowadays.

Dad says we’re going to get closer to the Castle, but, if I’m honest, I’m starting to get hungry for lunch.

Another exquisite (a word I heard mom mutter when looking at it) example of the Renaissance style is the frontispiece. Displaying both religious and more earthly imagery, it was designed to impress visitors and proclaim the Gordons’ power, status, and commitment to their Catholic faith. This was a defiant act in post-Reformation, Protestant Scotland. Unfortunately, Presbyterian Covenanters occupied Huntly Castle in 1640 and destroyed the Catholic symbolism. In fact, you can still see their chisel marks in the frontispiece.

The basement is a bit scary- especially these mannequins in the pit prison!

I just found this bed, and much to my chagrin, Dad says that it isn’t for me- even though I’m pretty sure I would fit in it. Walter says he's heard rumours about a cat named Buster that has decided to call Huntly Castle his home. Cats scare me so I’m not sure how I feel about this. Although I suppose everyone deserves a comfortable bed. According to Walter, if we come across Buster, it is best that we just ignore him and mind our own business. I trust him and will try to follow his example.

Now, I know I said I was hungry, and Dad said this was a kitchen, but something tells me it hasn’t been used in a while.

Going up to the first floor, we can see where the earl’s rooms were.

The second floor was the countess’s apartment and was a mirror image to the earl’s apartment.

One of the most beautiful features that has survived over the centuries is this fireplace in the hall of the marchioness’s lodging. It’s design is similar to the frontispiece we saw earlier as it has a mixture of heraldic devices and religious symbolism.

While smaller but still magnificent, there is another fireplace in the marchioness’s great chamber. The lintel features carved medallion portraits of the marquis and marchioness, together with their arms and mottoes.

Here are some more of Dad’s photos from various places throughout Huntly Castle:

We’re on our way out, and Dad wants to stop into the reception office to say thank you to the Historic Scotland staff person (they're the ones who care for Huntly Castle). He just showed me a picture of Buster who is now keeping warm there in the office. But I know the real truth- his Lordship Buster is the one who really runs the Castle! For some reason, Dad didn’t let me say hello (something about my puppy exuberance). Oh well, probably for the best as Walter says.

Well, I’m wet from the rain and have worked up quite the appetite with this exploration. So, I’m going to wrap this up now. I hope I have done a good job with my first castle post. I was nervous, but Walter says I’ve done well, and I’m always thrilled to receive praise from him. Be sure to add Huntly Castle to your travel itinerary when you visit Aberdeenshire. Head over to Historic Scotland's website to get the most up-to-date information.

Dad says we have a couple more days of adventures and we will be visiting two of the most spectacular castles in Aberdeenshire. So, be sure to continue to follow our ‘Golden’ summer blog series as we still have some exciting places to share with you. If you haven't already, you can subscribe by clicking the button below so that you get our articles as soon as they're published.

Until next time- Explore & Discover!

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