KINTORE Aberdeenshire
A royal burgh of forest granted in 1309 by Robert Bruce to Sir Robert De Keith Marischal of Scotland, the keep Hallforest castle was built around this time, a 60
ft high building, the oblong tower has walls 7ft in thickness, and has two great barrel-vaults one on top of the other these were divided to make four rooms the kitchen, a cellar, hall
and solar, the castle was lived in until 1639, now days it is a impressive ruin.
On the opposite side of the river Don is Balbithan Castle built by William Chalmers in 1667 the last of the L-plan castle’s in the country still standing today.
The old town house is an impressive building, with a clock tower and slated roof dating from 1740, this building contained a council room, a tolbooth, and a
school, it also contained the mealgirnal, were the grain from the tenants was deposited paying their rents in kind
|
