Park Castle []
History[]
| Park Castle | |
|---|---|
| Location Information | |
| Name | Park Castle |
| Owner | private |
| NGR | NJ 58903 57142 |
| Lon. & Lat. | 57.602365,-2.689357 |
| Council | Aberdeenshire |
| Parish | Ordiquhill |
| Nearby Castles | Carnousie, Auchintoul |
| Year built | 16th c. |
| Overview map | |
Park, part of an ancient Fief granted to a Norman knight in 1242, was bought by the Gordon family in 1605. The Gordons of Park married into the Duke of Fife’s family, the Duffs, in the mid-18th Century. During the 18th and 19th Centuries the castle was transformed from a baron’s fortress into an elegant country home.
At its core is a tall 16th Century ‘Z-plan’ tower house (turrets with turnpike stairs on two corners). Some arrow slit windows remain in the vaulted ‘basement’ (actually ground floor) rooms. Marks in the stone inside the front door show where swords were sharpened.
18th and 19th century additions were in both Classical and Gothic style and include large Georgian sash windows, projecting bows and a fine square tower with crenelations and small overhanging turrets at each corner. The whole castle is now listed category A by Historic Scotland.
The Gordons of Park were active Jacobite supporters and Sir William Gordon joined Bonnie Prince Charlie’s 1745 rebellion for the march on England and the subsequent retreat and ultimate defeat at the Battle of Culloden. The Duke of Cumberland’s men later encamped at Park and sacked the castle, but they failed to capture Sir William, who hid in the area before escaping to France.
The castle is said to be haunted by a green lady who appears from an upstairs window. The story goes that she is a servant who was dismissed from her post because she was expecting a child and subsequently committed suicide. Yet another ghost in the castle is a monk who was reputedly murdered by being walled up in the castle.