What is recorded here

Old Slains Castle was a 14th-century tower house granted to the Hays in 1308 when William Hay became Lord High Constable of Scotland. King James VI destroyed it in 1594 after the Hays joined the uprising against him, leaving only cliff-embedded walls and two sea-recovered cannon beside the ruins. The Hays resisted royal power here until fire and gunpowder erased their pride, turning a coastal stronghold into a warning written in broken stone.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Old Slains Castle as Tower House (medieval). 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.

Old Slains Castle was built by the Keith family in the 14th century and later held by the Gordon family in the 16th century. It is remembered as a significant example of a medieval tower house and for its historical associations with powerful Scottish noble families.

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