What is recorded here

Doune of Invernochty is the sole surviving Scottish example of a motte with Norman stonework on its summit, built in the late 12th or 13th century as the capital messuage of Strathdon. Its oval earthwork rises eighteen metres above a drained lake, hiding a stone curtain wall and a large Norman chapel where a sacred stoup once stood. Men dug through the mud in 1855 and 1935 to expose the drawbridge piles and gatehouse, proving that this quiet hill was once a formidable feudal stronghold.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Doune of Invernochty as Building (period Unknown), Castle (12th Century), Church (period Unknown), Kiln (period Unknown), Motte (12th Century), Observation Post (20th Century). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 1m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Doune of Invernochty was a 12th-century motte-and-bailey castle, likely built by a local noble or lord during the early medieval period. It is remembered as an important defensive and administrative site in the north-east of Scotland, reflecting the region's strategic significance during the medieval era.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.