Kildrummy Castle in Aberdeenshire was probably built in the mid-thirteenth century under Gilbert de Moravia. It is shield-shaped in plan, with several independent towers. The keep, called the Snow Tower, is taller than the others and was built in the French style, as at Bothwell Castle. A massive twin-towered gatehouse stands on the pointed side of the walls, and a steep ravine protects the flat side.
In 1306 it was besieged in defense of Robert the Bruce's family, and Nigel Bruce and others were executed. David of Strathbogie besieged it in 1335. James I took it over in 1435, making it a royal castle.
It was abandoned in 1716 after the Jacobite Rising of 1715. Excavations in 1925 uncovered decorative stone flooring. Historic Environment Scotland owns the ruin, which is a scheduled monument.
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