(3) Balquhain Castle
Looking at the dates involved, it is probably reasonable to assume that the Leslies built a simple castle here when they acquired the lands of Balquhain in the mid-14th century, and that it was this castle that was destroyed by the Forbeses in 1420. Following the death of Sir Andrew and the destruction of his castle, a new castle replaced the old, which lasted until 1526, and may still form the lower section of what remains today. Therefore most of what we see today, was built a century after the death of 'Red Andrew'.
Mary Queen of Scots was hospitably entertained here on her northern progress in 1562 and stayed the night on the eve of her army's destruction of the Gordons at the Battle of Corrichie. It remained the main seat of the family till 1690, when they moved themselves to Fetternear, an old summer residence of the Bishops of Aberdeen. Balquhain fell into disrepair and is said to have been finally burned by the Duke of Cumberland in the aftermath to the '45 Rebellion.
The remains of the chapel erected in a desperate attempt to save the soul of Sir Andrew Leslie from the fires of eternal damnation, still stand. The 'Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland' record its position at grid ref NJ 7098 2100. The surviving walls, within a small enclosure planted with ash and oak, reach a height of about 4 feet although one end of the building has been used for the dumping of stone cleared from nearby fields.
For me, one of the fascinations of places such as this (the chapel) is that the sparse remains of a building in a field, which to the uninitiated might be nothing more than a 19th century farm cottage, take on new interest the moment one knows a bit about its past.
(3) Balquhain Castle
Looking at the dates involved, it is probably reasonable to assume that the Leslies built a simple castle here when they acquired the lands of Balquhain in the mid-14th century, and that it was this castle that was destroyed by the Forbeses in 1420. Following the death of Sir Andrew and the destruction of his castle, a new castle replaced the old, which lasted until 1526, and may still form the lower section of what remains today. Therefore most of what we see today, was built a century after the death of 'Red Andrew'.
Mary Queen of Scots was hospitably entertained here on her northern progress in 1562 and stayed the night on the eve of her army's destruction of the Gordons at the Battle of Corrichie. It remained the main seat of the family till 1690, when they moved themselves to Fetternear, an old summer residence of the Bishops of Aberdeen. Balquhain fell into disrepair and is said to have been finally burned by the Duke of Cumberland in the aftermath to the '45 Rebellion.
The remains of the chapel erected in a desperate attempt to save the soul of Sir Andrew Leslie from the fires of eternal damnation, still stand. The 'Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland' record its position at grid ref NJ 7098 2100. The surviving walls, within a small enclosure planted with ash and oak, reach a height of about 4 feet although one end of the building has been used for the dumping of stone cleared from nearby fields.
For me, one of the fascinations of places such as this (the chapel) is that the sparse remains of a building in a field, which to the uninitiated might be nothing more than a 19th century farm cottage, take on new interest the moment one knows a bit about its past.