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Aberdeen Castle

Castle (medieval), Motte (medieval)(possible)
Aberdeen Castle
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What is recorded here

Aberdeen Castle was a late Middle Ages fortification on Castle Hill, now buried beneath modern flats. Edward I stayed there in 1296 after defeating the Scots, but William Wallace returned in 1297 to burn stranded English ships and seize the castle. Robert the Bruce later besieged and destroyed the fortress in 1308, killing the English garrison to deny Edward II a foothold. The castle vanished so completely that its exact foundations remain debated, yet the violence done there helped shape Aberdeen's identity and motto.
Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Aberdeen Castle as Castle (medieval), Motte (medieval)(possible). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 10m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.
Aberdeen Castle was built in the late 12th or early 13th century, likely by the Bishop of Aberdeen, and later held by the Burgh of Aberdeen. It is important as a key medieval stronghold that played a strategic role in the city's defense and governance.

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Photo: Ian S · CC BY-SA 2.0