Alyth Castle (possible) (site of)

There may have been a castle at Alyth in the 12th century although its location is now lost.

Alyth was a thanage belonging to William I in the second half of the 12th century and it was the location of a royal castle. In the late 12th century William I issued a charter at Alith granting to William Gifford, son of Hugh Gifford of Yester, a toft of land in each of the burghs of Forres, Cullen, Banff, Kintore, Cowie, Kincardine, the “castellum de Alith” and Clunie.

Nicholas Bogdan believed that Alyth Castle and Inverquiech Castle were one and the same, although they’re quite far apart. Martin Coventry states that a fallen wall and ramparts remain from the castle and gives a grid reference (NO 247 485) which falls within a residential property on Parkside Drive.

It may be that if there was a castle at Alyth that it was destroyed in antiquity and the seat of the barony later moved to Inverquiech Castle.

I have placed the location of the possible castle at the junction of the High Street and Kirk Brae, to the west of the old medieval church of Alyth, pending further research.