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Clan Leslie have been a powerful and influential family ever since their progenitor, a Hungarian nobleman named Bartolf, arrived in Scotland in 1067. The Leslies used their power and influence to build and acquire a number of grand castles. We find that exploring a clan’s historic homes is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in their story, so come along with us to discover Clan Leslie’s greatest castles!
Discover the Castles of Clan Leslie
Balquhain Castle
Balquhain Castle now stands in ruins as a scheduled monument in Aberdeenshire, 4 kilometres west of Inverurie, but it was once a striking stronghold of Clan Leslie.
It was built in the 14th century and controlled by the Leslie family from 1340. The Clan were very proud of Balquhain and took great efforts to maintain it, focusing on both defensive measures and style. In 1441, John Leslie of Balquhain even commissioned four masons, David Hardgat, David Dun, Robert Masoun, and Gilbert Masoun, to complete construction improvements on the castle.
The remains today give us some idea of what the layout would have been. It seems that Balquhain boasted a 13.75 by 8.75 m tower which featured a quadrangular crenelated design and stone partitions dividing the basement into two vaulted chambers. The northeast wall seems to have included a large chimney and a mural staircase.
Sadly, 1526 brought Balquhain a dose of bad fortune and it fell foul of one particularly persistent enemy. Clan Forbes, a rival family, besieged the site, causing substantial damage. Luckily, however, the Leslies were not to be defeated so easily, and resiliently rebuilt the castle with further fortifications, including additional buildings enclosed within a defensive barmkin, or courtyard.
This was characteristic of the most sophisticated architectural style at the time, and Balquhain attracted some equally sophisticated guests! Mary, Queen of Scots is thought to have stayed at the castle in 1562, using it as a temporary residence before the Battle of Corrichie.
Balquhain stayed in Clan Leslie’s possession until around 1694, when Count Patrick Leslie moved to the more modern and luxurious home of Fetternear Palace.
Balquhain was eventually burned down by the forces of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, in 1746 during the Jacobite uprising, and the ruins were left to the mercy of the elements.
It remains a fascinating historical landmark today, reflecting the turbulent history of Clan Leslie and their foes.
Fetternear Palace
Next, it only makes sense to explore the place that drew the Leslies away from Balquhain with the promise of more style, prestige, and comfort.
Fetternear Palace, sometimes also known as Fetternear Bishop’s Palace, is located near Kemnay in Aberdeenshire.
It is now an archaeological site, but it was once one of the main residences of the medieval bishops of Aberdeen, and later a home of Clan Leslie. It was built on the picturesque sloping ground above the Marshes Burn, near its intersection with the River Don.
The lands of Fetternear belonged to the church from as early as the 12th century. In 1157, Pope Adrian IV confirmed that the territory belonged to Edward, Bishop of Aberdeen, while in 1242, King Alexander II of Scotland gifted the lands to Ralph, Bishop of Aberdeen.
Clan Leslie came into possession of Fetternear in the 16th century, following the Scottish Reformation. In around 1566, William Gordon, Bishop of Aberdeen, granted the palace and its lands to William Leslie, the ninth baron of Balquhain, to thank him for protecting Aberdeen Cathedral from the reformers. This was confirmed by a charter in 1602, and his son, John Leslie, later received confirmation of ownership from King James VI and was appointed Constable of the Bishopric of Aberdeen.
Clan Leslie remained in Fetternear for centuries, making it one of their primary holdings, until a terrible fire tragically destroyed the palace in 1919. The alarm was raised by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Leslie, who noticed smoke under his bedroom door at 5 am on the 19th of December. Luckily, the family and servants were able to escape by jumping from their windows, but many historic Leslie paintings and artefacts were sadly lost.
Today, it stands in ruins and is fenced off from the public due to its precarious state, but you can still spot a few fascinating features from the other side of the fence, including, most excitingly for us, Patrick Leslie’s coat of arms carved in stone above the front entrance.
Leslie Castle
To end the blog, we wanted to explore one Clan Leslie site that you can still visit and even stay in!
Leslie Castle stands on land once known as Lesselyn, the first territory granted to the clan by King Malcolm III all the way back in the 11th century. The area is now known as Insch, and is located near the village of Auchleven, about 45 kilometres northwest of Aberdeen.
The original castle was most likely a traditional wooden motte-and-bailey structure, until it was replaced by a stone fortress. It was expanded in 1661 for William Forbes of Monymusk, whose father had acquired the Leslie Barony through marriage.
The castle was redesigned in an L-plan layout and featured a unique staircase within its square tower, which incorporated a central column with spaces to hold lamps, cleverly allowing for light throughout the stairwell. The building was three stories high with a garret, a vaulted basement, and a drawbridge with a gatehouse.
These features make Leslie Castle a fascinating snapshot into architectural history, as it was one of the last fortified houses built in Scotland.
In 1670, the castle passed onto the Leiths of Leith Hall, and by 1820, it had been abandoned completely and left to fall into ruin. It lost its roof and quickly became uninhabitable.
Luckily, however, this was not the end for Leslie Castle, nor for Clan Leslie’s ties to the grand building!
In 1980, the architect David Carnegie Leslie purchased the castle and spent nearly a whole decade carefully restoring it using stone from derelict cottages on a nearby estate.
In 1989, the restoration was finally complete, and Leslie Castle was opened as a hotel. Since 2018, David and his wife, Leslie, have run it as a guest house, offering visitors the unique experience of staying in a historic Scottish castle. They say that it is ‘perfect for dreamers, history buffs, and for travellers wishing to explore Scottish food and culture.’
The castle is also open to the general public for tours by prior arrangement, and they welcome enquiries from groups, schools, and clubs. We can’t think of many better ways to connect with your Clan Leslie heritage!
If you are interested in booking a stay or a tour for yourself, head over to their website for more information.
We hope you have enjoyed exploring a few Clan Leslie sites with us and perhaps feel a bit closer to understanding this fascinating family.
Please do get in touch if you have been to, or plan to go to any Leslie landmarks, we’d love to hear about your experiences.
If you’d like to learn more about Clan Leslie, head over to our Clan Leslie page and keep an eye out for the rest of our content, as we will be focusing on this intriguing bunch for the whole month!
Image Sources:
Balquhain Castle by Bill Harrison, CC BY-SA 2.0
Fetternear House (the palace is no longer standing) by C Michael Hogan, CC BY-SA 2.0
Leslie Castle - used with permission from Leslie Castle Guesthouse
