The Castles of Clan Keith

Dunnottar Castle makes a striking image; it sits on top of a rock jutting out over the North Sea just south of Aberdeen. It is not only notable for its imposing appearance, but also for its versality! Since it was built, it has served as a host for multiple royal visitors, the hiding place of precious jewels, and even the home of a lion and a bear!

The story began long ago, as Dunnottar rock has been inhabited by various groups since the beginning of the 4^th century, but the most legendary period of its history began when the site came into Sir William Keith’s hands at the end of the 14^th century.

Sir William quickly started work, building the first stone castle to stand on the cliff, known as the keep. However, just as William was beginning to see the spoils of his labour, disaster threatened to strike. Pope Benedict XIII caught wind of what was going on and excommunicated him for building a castle, a site designed to defend against and often perpetrate violence, on ‘sacred soil,’ or holy ground. Luckily, William was able to win back favour by building a new church nearby Dunnottar and paying a fee to the pope.

In 1458, the Keiths experienced a major increase in status when King James II named another Sir William Keith the 1^st Earl Marischal, which made Dunnottar the Clan’s hereditary seat. Over the following years, the family added to their grand home, crafting some classic features of a noble castle, such as fortifications and gun ports, along with a few more unusual amenities!

In 1593, George Keith, the 5^th Earl Marischal, bought a lion to keep as a pet at the castle. It slept in a small stone kennel which is now known as the Lion’s Den. Unfortunately for the poor animal, the Marischal’s wife was not a big fan of its constant roaring and growling, so she ordered that it be killed. The Earl, bereft, got a new exotic pet to replace the lion, this time picking a bear. We wonder how the countess felt about that!

Dunnottar also played a significant role in contemporary Scottish politics, and even royal affairs.

During the British Civil War in the mid 1640s, Dunnottar helped to preserve the Scottish crown jewels. Charles I, King of Scotland and England was executed in 1649 by Oliver Cromwell. The next year however, his son, Charles II, journeyed to Scotland, determined to take back the land and the royal position.

Cromwell was incensed and instructed his army to invade Scotland immediately. He had already destroyed parts of the English crown jewels, so it was clear to Charles that the iconic ‘Honours of Scotland’ would be his next target. The King called on the help of the powerful Keith family, instructing the Earl Marischal to hide the jewels at Dunnottar Castle.

They were held there until Dunnottar was attacked, endangering the sacred artifacts once again. Luckily the Honours were carefully lowered from the castle down towards the sea, where a local woman received them under the pretence of gathering seaweed. She took them to a nearby church where they were hidden for years, until they could be safely retrieved. You can now see them at Edinburgh Castle.

Dunnottar was sold in 1717 and left to crumble until Lord and Lady Cowdray bought the site in 1919 and started an extensive restoration project. Today, Dunnottar is open to the public and is a very popular tourism spot. If you want to find out more or plan a trip for yourself, have a look at their website here.

We think it would be the perfect way to connect with your clan ancestors!

Dunnottar also had a sister site, Fetteresso Castle, which was owned by the same Earl. Fetteresso was rich with classic Scottish design elements, such as crow-stepped gables and defensive battlements. A stylish dovecote, built to house pet doves and pigeons, was added in the 17^th century, and still stands on the grounds today.

We don’t know when exactly the Keith family left Fetteresso, but we do know that the castle continued to house some very intriguing characters even after their departure. In 1659, a woman named Jean Hunter lived on the site; she was accused of being a witch and was tragically hanged within the grounds.

The castle continued to change hands over the 18^th and 19^th centuries, and was sadly left to fall into disrepair, spending a chunk of the 1950s with no roof! It was eventually partially restored before being split into seven grand houses which are now privately owned.

Our final Keith home for today tells a grislier tale about the family’s heyday.

Just north of Wick, Caithness, lays the land of Ackergill. This used to be the territory of the Cheyne Clan, until Reginald Cheyne, the clan chief, died in 1350 leaving no male heir. One of his daughters married John Keith, who therefore claimed the land as belonging to the Keith family. While the history isn’t entirely clear, it is thought that John’s son built the tower of Ackergill in order to keep up with Sir William Keith, who had just crafted the impressive Dunnottar.

Ackergill was the subject of much dispute between the Keiths and the Sinclairs throughout the 16^th and 17^th centuries and changed hands many times, but Clan Keith still managed to build on the site.

Brewhouses, stables, stone dovecotes, and small wooden barns were added to the land surrounding the tower, creating a thriving community with the Keiths at its centre. In the 1500s, the clan built a courtyard wall to surround the whole place, offering more protection against the frequent raids from the Sinclairs.

However, while Clan Sinclair posed the biggest threat to Ackergill, it was a feud with Clan Gunn that gave the castle its most notorious ghost story. Lachlan Gunn lived nearby in Braemore with his daughter, Helen, who became renowned for her enchanting beauty. She was desired by countless men, but her cousin, Alexander Gunn, was the only one she wanted to be with. The pair were engaged and deeply in love. However, Dugald Keith of Ackergill could not get Helen out of his mind. He was desperate and wasn’t used to not getting his way.

On the night of Helen’s wedding, Dugald rallied a group of fellow Keiths to accompany him to Braemore, where they kidnapped the unsuspecting Helen and took her to Ackergill Tower where she was kept prisoner.

Helen was devastated to lose both her new husband and her freedom. She couldn’t bear to stay trapped in the castle, so she ventured up to the top of the tower and threw herself over the battlements, landing on the treacherous, rocky ground below.

Ever since, there have been frequent reports of ghost sightings at Ackergill. People talk of spotting a forlorn looking woman in a green dress whispering, crying, and roaming the grounds. Others have spoken of feeling unexplained cold spots, seeing strange lights, or feeling that they are being watched. There have even been a few stories of objects seeming to move on their own!

Ackergill is now privately owned; we wonder how its current residents get on with its live-in spectre!

Image Sources:

Dunnottar Castle View - Visit Scotland / Kenny Lam

Fetteresso Castle - By C Michael Hogan, CC BY-SA 2.0