[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he ruins of Blairfindy Castle, a tower-house, overlook the banks of the River Livet near the modern hamlet of Castleton.

Completed in 1564 by John Gordon, Blairfindy is L-shaped on plan, consisting of a three-storeyed main block and a wing which contains the principal stair to the first floor. An interesting feature is the box machicolation which projects from the wall above the entrance. Such defences were characteristic of medieval castles, where they allowed objects to be dropped down onto attackers during a siege. On a tower-house of this relatively late date, though, the machicolation was a deliberately archaic addition which gave a war-like appearance to what was essentially a residential building.

In 1586, the castle passed to another branch of the Gordon family, when it became a hunting seat of the Earls of Huntly. A datestone set above the entrance was inserted at this time, bearing the initials IG and HG and the family’s coat-of-arms.