All that remains of the 13th century castle at Rothes is a fragment of the curtain wall. The castle was protected by steep slopes on three sides and a dry moat on the other. Access to the inner courtyard was via a drawbridge and through an entrance flanked by two drum towers.

In the 12th century the lands were held by the Pollocks, they then passed to the Watsons and then to the Leslies. In 1457 the Leslies were made Earls of Rothes. In 1620 they abondoned the castle and moved to Fife, although this didn't stop them gaining the title of Dukes of Rothes in 1680. By this time their old castle at Rothes was already a ruin having been largely destroyed by local villagers in 1662 to prevent it being used as a refuge for thieves.

Location:

Located near a golf course, just off the A941 at the southern end of Rothes

Address:

Rothes, Moray

Access:

Free, open access at any reasonable time

Map:

Castle location map

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