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The steep grassy side of the Doune of Invernochty mound against the sky.
Aberdeenshire

Doune of Invernochty

A huge earthwork castle mound at Strathdon where the Water of Nochty meets the Don, raised by the Earls of Mar in the late 1100s, one of the finest Norman mottes in Scotland.

Welcome

In the green valley of Strathdon, just where the Water of Nochty tumbles into the River Don, a great steep-sided mound of grass rises above the fields, far too regular to be natural.

This is the Doune of Invernochty, a castle mound raised in the late 1100s or early 1200s, and one of the finest Norman earthwork castles in Scotland.

It was built for the Earls of Mar, in the years after King David brought Norman lords and Norman ways of building into Scotland, and it was the seat of Strathdon, one of the five lordships of the earldom. The hill was shaped and steepened by hand, ringed with a deep ditch and bank, and flooded with water from the Nochty to make a moat. On the top are the foundations of stone walls. The earls moved on to their great stone castle at Kildrummy, and the Doune was left by the 1300s.

The name comes from the Gaelic for the fort at the mouth of the Nochty.

A little further outThe Strong Water Co27 min by roadSee itThe Strong Water Co
Before you go

Free, at any time.

The sides of the mound are steep and slippery, with no steps; take care climbing to the top.

Where
Between Bellabeg and Strathdon, where the Water of Nochty meets the Don.
Built
Late 12th or early 13th century.

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Where it is

In Strathdon, between the villages of Bellabeg and Strathdon, where the Water of Nochty joins the River Don.

Close byStrathdon.
  1. Road sign reading "Lost" with an arrow, surrounded by bare winter shrubsThe Famous Lost SignUnder a mile 1 min by road
  2. Stone arched bridge over a river, sunlight filtering through bare treesPoldullie BridgeUnder a mile 1 min by road
  3. Stone cottage with lit doorways and slate roof at dusk, forest behindSteading BarThe Steading is a bar in Strathdon, in a quiet part of the Cairngorms.1 mile 2 min by road
  4. Corgarff CastleCorgarff CastleA white tower house turned Redcoat barracks at the head of the glen.8 miles 12 min by road
  5. Kildrummy Castle's D-shaped ruin seen from the air above its ravine.Kildrummy CastleA great ruined castle of the Wars of Independence.10 miles 13 min by road
  6. Craigievar CastleCraigievar CastleA pink tower house of turrets and corbels.22 miles 34 min by road
Directions
The dining room at Kildrummy Inn, with iron chandeliers under the beams, tables laid with glasses and candles and gilt-framed Highland paintings on the walls.RestaurantsKildrummy Inn7.3 miles
A stone farmhouse with dormer windows stands beside a picnic bench within a wooden fence enclosure.GlenkindieTornahatnachSleeps 5 · 8.5 miles
A stone house with three dormer windows and a yellow front door sits behind a lawn, terracotta pots flanking the entrance.GlenkindieGreenstyleSleeps 6 · 8.5 miles
A stone cottage with green-framed dormer windows and matching door stands behind a gravel drive, trees and open fields beyond.GlenkindieDalgrassickSleeps 4 · 8.5 miles
A stone farmhouse with a gabled dormer window sits behind a timber picket fence, trees shading the drive.GlenkindieHome FarmSleeps 6 · 8.5 miles
A stone farmhouse with a slated roof and green door sits behind a lawn, a timber garden room extending to one side.GlenkindieChapeltonSleeps 6 · 8.5 miles
Two grey linen sofas face each other across a dark wooden coffee table, checked roman blinds at the windows and a framed landscape print on the wall.BallaterOld School CottageSleeps 7 · 12 miles
A wooden table and chairs with green cushions stand on a stone patio beside a gabled stone house, a lawn stretching in front.BallaterLaggan CottageSleeps 8 · 12 miles
A grand stone house with multiple gables and chimneys stands on a lawn at dusk, a Land Rover parked in the drive under a stormy sky.GlengairnGairnshiel LodgeSleeps 16 · 12 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the Doune, and when each is next free.

A stone farmhouse with dormer windows stands beside a picnic bench within a wooden fence enclosure.Tornahatnach
  • Sleeps 5
  • In Glenkindie
  • 6 miles from the Doune of Invernochty
Free 18–21 NovA stone house with three dormer windows and a yellow front door sits behind a lawn, terracotta pots flanking the entrance.Greenstyle
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Glenkindie
  • 6 miles from the Doune of Invernochty
Free 22–25 NovA stone cottage with green-framed dormer windows and matching door stands behind a gravel drive, trees and open fields beyond.Dalgrassick
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Glenkindie
  • 6 miles from the Doune of Invernochty
Free 2–5 NovA stone farmhouse with a gabled dormer window sits behind a timber picket fence, trees shading the drive.Home Farm
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Glenkindie
  • 6 miles from the Doune of Invernochty
Free 28–31 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in AberdeenshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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