Cadboll Castle is a ruined 16th century castle which belonged to the Innes family.

When the first castle was built at Cadboll isn’t known, but the lands of Cadboll were originally part of the Earldom of Ross. In the 13th century the lands were divided between Fearn Abbey and chaplains at the cathedral kirk of Moray in Elgin by the Earl of Ross. It isn’t clear when this first happened but some time between 1255 and 1271 William, Earl of Ross, granted part of Cadboll to the kirk of Moray. This division gave rise to numerous land disputes which lasted into the 17th century, and it would seem that while Cadboll Castle stands on what was Moray land part of its estate was Fearn land.

In 1375 William of Clyne held the lands of Cadboll from the Bishop of Moray, and William’s grandson, also Clyne, still held “the two Catbollis” in 1461. However in 1478 William Tulloch, Bishop of Moray, leased “the lands of Catpolle” to John MacCulloch and his three successive heirs for 14 merks annually. In 1511 John MacCulloch’s son, William MacCulloch, married Agnes Ross, daughter of Sir David Ross of Balnagown.

It’s possible that there was an earlier castle here however there is no documentary evidence for it and the style of the existing remains suggest it may have been built during the tenure of the MacCullochs. The castle is built on an L-plan with a main block aligned north to south and measuring approximately 16m long by around 8m east to west with walls some 1.3m thick. It stands to a height of around 7m.

An east wing, which projects around 4m east from the north end of the main block, was probably added in the late 16th century although some sources suggest it may have been built early in the 17th century. Most of the east wing has been demolished.

There are no windows in the vaulted basement of the main block and the building is entered at first floor level via a flight of steps within the re-entrant angle. Above the door, which is protected by a splayed gunloop, is an empty niche for a now lost heraldic panel.The first floor features three barrel-vaulted chambers, the southernmost and middle of which are lit only by cruciform gun-loops and the northernmost of which by larger windows. None of these chambers feature a fireplace or latrine and are more like typical basement storage rooms than what would be expected on a first floor.

At the north-west corner of the main block is a drum tower of three storeys, approximately 5m in diameter, while at the south-east corner is a corbelled turret. A door at the base of the tower is a later addition, however the two windows above it may be original.

Some sources state that the castle was given by the abbot of Fearn Abbey to his illegitimate son in the mid-16th century, while others state that it was a nephew of the abbot in 1534. In the latter case this may refer to Andrew Denune, the nephew of Donald Campbell who assumed his mother’s name of Denune and became abbot of Fearn, however these lands seem to be one of the other parts of Cadboll and not the part with the castle.

In 1552 Robert MacCulloch, son of Thomas MacCulloch of Plaids and grandson of William MacCulloch and Agnes Ross, sold Plaids, including Cadboll Castle, and other MacCulloch lands, plus the bailiary of St Duthac, to Alexander Innes who some sources describe as Robert’s uncle. This led to a long-running dispute between Innes and Agnes, with the latter claiming that her son had given her a nineteen year tack of two thirds of Cadboll in 1542 and that she had assigned to him her third of Cadboll with Skardie.

Innes had the lands of Catboll and others apprised from him by Alexander Dunbar, Prior of Pluscarden, in 1558 due to his “violent occupation of the town and lands of Lewchris”. This was resolved two years later upon the payment of £2,066 and 2 shillings to the Prior of Pluscarden.

In 1566 Innes, styled Alexander Innes of Plaiddis, seems to have granted a reversion of two-thirds of Catboll to William Sinclair, second son of George Sinclair, Earl of Caithness. Meanwhile the disagreement with Agnes Ross continued and in 1572 her nephew, Alexander Ross of Balnagown, raided the lands of Alexander Innes, destroyed his tower of Cadboll, imprisoned Innes and his wife and forced him to sign a contract binding himself to resign “ye toune and lands of Catboill wt. ye fortalice yairoff” and other former MacCulloch lands to Ross in exchange for 1000 merks.

Two years later Ross was ordered to pay Innes 4000 merks and to return the lands of Catbole and others “for demolishing the tower and fortalice of Catboll, ejecting the said Alexander Innes therefrom, despoiling his goods and compelling him to renounce his lands of Catboll in favour of the said Alexander Ross”. Ross failed to comply and was put to the horn the following month for failing to appear before the parliament in Edinburgh, accused of “ye doune casting of ye batellit towr of Catboll and ye allegit taking and presoning of Alexander Innes of Plaids in Catboll and for allegit dissobedience”, later spending a period of time imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle.

Ross eventually signed a contract by which he agrees to pay the 4000 merks and “bund and obleist him to big up agane sum voltis and houses of Catboll at ane certane tyme under payne of ane thousand punds” and to provide “fyve hundret marks will repair and mak ye samyn als sufficient as ever”. This rebuilding of the vaults has been suggested as the reason why some of the first floor vaults have a strange appearance.

In 1579 Innes signed a contract delivering to his kinsman Alexander Innes of Crommy various properties including the town and lands of Catboll, the lands and barony of Plaiddis and the reversion of the two-thirds of Catboll to William Sinclair. Five years later Robert Innes of Innes and Cromye sold the lands of Catboll with its fortalice and other properties to George Sinclair of Mey for 20,000 merks. It is likely that it was Sinclair who built the east wing that projects from the main block of the castle.

Cadboll is illustrated on Pont’s late 16th century map of Tarbet Ness as a large four storey castle with courtyard named Cattbo.

In 1600 William Sinclair, son of George Sinclair of Mey, married Katherine Ross, second daughter of George Ross of Balnagown which presumably put an end to the two families’ feud.

In 1615 George Sinclair granted the lands of Catboll and others in liferent to his wife, Margaret Forbes. The following year it was recorded that in August Margaret’s agent, James Ross, was offered the “two keys of the tower and fortalice of Catboll, pertaining to Margaret in liferent, and James Ros refused to receive them because he had no warrant”. In September however her late husband’s factor, Arthur Forbes, gave her “the keys of the tower and fortalice of Catboll”. Arthur, along with Margaret’s children, Alexander and Janet, then entered the tower and made an inventory of its contents.

A doocot around 150m south-south-east of Cadboll Castle probably dates to the mid-17th century and so may be another Sinclair construction. It is decorated with worn Macleod crests on both cavetto skew-putts however these are likely to be later additions.

In the 1660s and possibly earlier the castle was occupied by Alexander Duff and his wife, Christine Urquhart. Alexander had been employed by Sir James Sinclair, son of George Sinclair of Mey, since the 1640s and is recorded as chamberlain to Lady Mey in 1665. His wife died at Cadboll in 1660, seemingly disproving the legend recorded in the Statistical Account of Scotland that no resident of Cadboll Castle had ever died there. The legend mentions a Lady May in the late 17th century who when ill apparently asked to be taken out of the castle where she promptly died outside. It may be that this Lady May has become confused for Christine Urquhart.

The Sinclairs may have had financial issues as in February 1664 the lands and barony of May and Cansbey, including “Catboll, mill and mill-lands” were apprised from Sir William Sinclair of Mey and granted to Alexander Cuthbert, Provost of Inverness, in lieu of a debt of 3900 merks. This was followed in June of the same year by an apprisal of the same lands and barony in favour of John Robertsone, writer in Edinburgh, who was due £2279, 0s. 8d.

In 1678 William Sinclair of Dumbaith renounced the apprising of Sir William Sinclair of Mey‘s lands of Catboll in favour of Robert Gordoune, brother of Sir Ludovick Gordoune of Gordounestoune. In 1694 Cadboll was sold to George Mackenzie, Viscount Tarbat and later 1st Earl of Cromartie, to pay off debts.

Around this time a laird’s house was built to the south of the castle, presumably as a replacement, and stone from the castle may have been used in the construction of the new house. Originally known as Cadboll House it is now known as Glenmorangie House. The castle is thought to have gradually fallen into ruin after this time. The new house is described variously as late 17th century and early 18th century but who built it and exactly when is not clear. Glenmorangie give a date of 1699 and attribute it to the Macleods, however a mansion house and tower are mentioned in the sale of 1694 which suggests that it was the Sinclairs.

The early 18th century date given in some sources may stem from a marriage lintel with the initials AE M MM, for Aeneas Macleod and Margaret Mackenzie, who married in 1703. Margaret was the daughter of Kenneth Mackenzie of Scatwell, a cadet branch of the Mackenzie Earls of Cromartie, and Aeneas Macleod bought Cadboll from the Earl of Cromartie.

Cadboll remained in the Macleod family until 1921 when the estates were broken up and it was sold by Captain R. W. Macleod of Cadboll. Later Cadboll would be bought by the Glenmorangie distillery which is now owned by LMVH.

The castle is currently used for farm storage.