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Tillycairn Castle


General view.  Date 3/10/1994 Copyright RCAHMS
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General view. Date 3/10/1994 Copyright RCAHMS
Item SC990561

Organisation

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland

Canmore ID

18063

Site Type

TOWER HOUSE

County

ABERDEENSHIRE

Parish

CLUNY

Council

ABERDEENSHIRE

NGR

NJ 66483 11426

Latitude, Longitude

57.1924N, 2.55623W

Images

Summary Notes
Tillycairn, c.1550. Substantial four-storey-and-attic, harled, L-plan country house with rounded angles and fine stair-tower in re-entrant angle topped with bold ashlar caphouse. Angle turrets on strong corbels. Almost hidden from the main road, on an elevated site, this is a most rewarding building, particularly in the massing of windows and turrets on the south front, or the interest inspired by the view into the re-entrant. Although referred to as a 'bantam cock', Tillycairn is one of the central Aberdeenshire chateaux whose sheer scale demands a different response than that required of pocket lairds' houses in remoter parts (such as Auchinachie, Forgue). These are big-league players. Ruinous by 1772; restored, 1980-4, Ian Begg, for David Lumsden, whose last act of restoration was to add some heraldry (cf Monymusk).

Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
Archaeological Notes
NJ61SE 1 66483 11426

(NJ 6648 1143) Tillycairn Castle (NR)
OS 6" map, (1959)

Tillycairn Castle is a fine example of the L-plan, probably built about 1550. It measures 41 1/2 feet by 37 feet, with a circular staircase tower in the re-entrant. The main building was four storeys high, the wing being one storey higher. Macfarlane (1906-8) records that the castle was ruinous in 1722. In 1921 the building was in good repair despite being used as a hen-house.
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92; W Macfarlane 1906-8; W D Simpson 1921; W D Simpson 1949.

Tillycairn Castle, as described, illustrated and planned by Simpson (1921; 1949).
Visited by OS (RL) 5 February 1968.

P Yeoman: watching brief for SDD March 1980.
(Newspaper references cited).
NMRS, MS/712/57.


Related Material Information - Bibliographical References


Bell-Ingram (1989) Tillycairn Castle, Aberdeenshire: {sale particulars}, Aberdeen. Held at RCAHMS: D.5.13.TIL.S
Bogdan and Bryce, N and I B D (1991) 'Castles, manors and 'town houses' survey',
Cruden, S (1960) 'The Scottish Castle', Edinburgh. Held at RCAHMS: F.5.21.CRU
Cumming, I (2000) 'Tillycairn, Hatton Castle, and Forter Castle - the work', Glasgow. Held at RCAHMS: F.5.21.CLO
Giles, J (1936) 'Drawings of Aberdeenshire castles', Aberdeen. Held at RCAHMS: D.5.11.GIL
MacGibbon and Ross, D and T (1887-92) The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth centuries, Edinburgh. Held at RCAHMS: F.5.21.MAC
Macfarlane, W (1906-8) Geographical collections relating to Scotland, Edinburgh. Held at RCAHMS: D.20.MAC.R
Scottish Castle Survey (1988) 'A directory of the owners and occupiers of the castles, manors and 'town houses' {c.1050-c.1707} of Scotland: Grampian Region', Aberdeen. Held at RCAHMS: B.2.1.CAS
Shepherd, I A G (2006) Aberdeenshire, Donside and Strathbogie: an illustrated architectural guide, [Edinburgh]. Held at RCAHMS: Quick
Shepherd, I [A G] (1994) Gordon: an illustrated architectural guide, [Edinburgh]. Held at RCAHMS: D.5.GOR
Simpson, W D (1921) 'Notes on five Donside castles',
Simpson, W D (1949) The earldom of Mar: being a sequel to "The Province of Mar", 1943, Aberdeen. Held at RCAHMS: D.5.12.MAR
Slade, H G (1983) 'Tillycairn Castle, Aberdeenshire',
Strutt and Parker (2007) Tillycairn Castle, Nr Dunecht, Aberdeenshire: [sale particulars], Edinburgh. Held at RCAHMS: D.5.23.TIL.S
Tranter, N (1962-70) 'The fortified house in Scotland', Edinburgh. Held at RCAHMS: F.5.21.TRA

Related Material Information - Description of Collections


Manuscripts

ABR54/1 (3/1981)
Record sheet. RCAHMS
MS712/57 (1999)
Photocopies of Aberdeenshire Archaeological Service site record sheets for map sheets NJ61SW and NJ61SE, received 5 March 1999. Aberdeenshire Archaeological Service

Photographs

AB122
General view. Dr Eeles collection Dr Francis C Eeles
AB1520
General view. Dr Eeles collection Dr Francis C Eeles
E37612CN (7/4/2003)
View from E. RCAHMS
E37611 (7/4/2003)
View from E. RCAHMS
A34220CN (1840)
Photographic copy of drawing showing view from SE showing out-houses. RCAHMS
A34220P (1840)
Photographic copy of drawing showing view from SE showing out-houses. RCAHMS

Print Room

AB3452PO
Historic photographs. General views and details. RCAHMS

Scanned Images

SC990561 (3/10/1994)
General view. Ian Shepherd

Related OS 6-inch maps


Related OS 25-inch maps