327:. It was certainly in existence by the time the king came to visit in 1151. The motte was a man-made mound with steeply sloping sides and a wide and deep ditch that surrounded the base. Timber buildings would have stood on its flat top and would have been further protected by a wooden palisade placed around the edge of the summit. The motte was accessed from the bailey. This is a wide stretch of earth elevated above the surrounding area but not as high as the motte. At Duffus, the motte would have been reached by steps set into the mound. The bailey contained the buildings necessary to sustain its inhabitants – brew and bake houses, workshops and stables – as well as the living accommodation.
285:
362:
51:
378:
built into the curtain wall indicate the presence of a number of buildings. On the north side, a later building was erected that housed a kitchen, a great hall with a reception room and the great chamber bedroom. It is possible that this building was constructed by the
Sutherlands. It is not known
373:
A two-storey rectangular tower was built on the motte and was the main residence. The first floor held the lord's hall, with a latrine and bed chambers. The ground floor was the main storage space and also accommodated the lord's household. The tower was built as a defensive structure with a small
369:
In 1305, it was recorded that
Reginald le Chen received a grant from King Edward I of England of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Longmorn and Darnaway "to build his manor of Dufhous", demonstrating that a large construction project was being carried out. The wood could have been needed for
379:
when the serious subsidence took place but there is evidence of repairs to the tower before it slid down the motte. The tower shows no further repairs and may have collapsed early on, but the newer hall became the main residence. This building shows continued alterations over time. In 1689,
271:
and was in use from c. 1140 to 1705. During its occupation it underwent many alterations. The most fundamental was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in
320:". Freskin appears in no contemporary sources, and was never referred to by his national origin. Regardless of his origin, by the 13th century his descendants were referring to themselves as 'de Moravia' ('of Moray') and had become one of the more powerful families in northern Scotland.
374:
number of narrow windows. There was only one entrance on the ground floor, which also housed a portcullis. On the second floor, two doors exited onto the walkway of the curtain wall. This wall enclosed the bailey. The
303:
Freskin’s background is uncertain. The consensus amongst historians is that he was of
Flemish background, the principal argument being that "Freskin" is a Flemish name. Undoubtedly, King David, himself a
299:
in 1130. After Oengus' defeat and death in battle, David installed
Freskin, a nobleman probably of Flemish origin, as his chief agent in Moray, and he was probably the first to build a castle at Duffus.
316:
who fought for King David and his
English general Edward Siwardsson in Moray. At that time, when Flemish nobles were referred to in writs by nationality (almost never), they were styled "
370:
scaffolding, flooring and roofing of a new stone fortress. Alternatively, the stone structure, which dates from the early 14th century, could have been built by the younger
Reginald.
524:
617:
330:
The castle may have been destroyed in 1297 during the First War of
Scottish Independence, and it might have suffered further during King
358:. The Sutherlands themselves were descended from Freskin and the castle remained in their possession until 1705 when it was abandoned.
355:
63:
486:
276:. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and so was abandoned.
380:
351:
622:
323:
It was
Freskin who built the great earthwork and timber motte-and-bailey castle in c. 1140 on boggy ground in the
576:
122:
637:
607:
347:
343:
185:
612:
308:
monarch with extensive estates in northern
England and Normandy, granted lands to many nobles from
384:
268:
346:(d.1312) by marriage to the heiress Mary de Moravia, a descendant of Freskin. With the death of
580:
228:
312:
as well as
Normans. The unlikely alternatives are that he may have been an Anglo-Saxon or a
284:
632:
627:
8:
296:
520:
209:
482:
415:
Oram, Richard (1999). "David I and the Scottish Conquest and Colonisation of Moray".
387:, and would be one of the last important visitors before the castle's abandonment.
331:
102:
476:
292:
324:
173:
601:
78:
65:
305:
256:
33:
433:
See G.W.S. Barrow, "The Beginnings of Military Feudalism" in Barrow (ed.)
592:
375:
404:
The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, vol 1. Edinburgh
448:
Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time or, the Jarls and the Freskyns
361:
309:
273:
264:
41:
350:
in 1345, Duffus passed to his daughter Mariot who was married to
169:
575:
50:
177:
29:
550:
Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland, Vol IV. Edinburgh.
313:
260:
37:
587:
562:
The History of the Province of Moray, vol 2. Edinburgh
525:"The castles of Duffus, Rait, and Morton reconsidered"
342:
In 1270, the castle passed into the ownership of Sir
475:Ritchie, Anna; Ritchie, James Neil Graham (1998).
599:
474:
288:Depiction of typical motte-and-bailey castle
383:was a guest of Lord Duffus just before the
468:
458:
456:
356:Kenneth de Moravia, 4th Earl of Sutherland
481:. Oxford University Press. p. 138.
478:Scotland: An Oxford Archaeological Guide
360:
283:
519:
453:
600:
532:The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
504:
618:Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Moray
500:
498:
414:
279:
381:John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee
337:
13:
14:
649:
569:
495:
462:Balfour Paul, J 1906 & 1911
437:, 2nd Ed. (2003), p. 252, n. 16.
402:MacGibbon, D & Ross, T 1887
49:
554:
542:
538:, Archaeology Data Service: 13
513:
440:
427:
408:
396:
334:'s campaign in Moray in 1306.
109:stone - keep with curtain wall
1:
577:Historic Environment Scotland
560:Shaw, L & Gordon, J 1882
123:Historic Environment Scotland
464:The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh
7:
10:
654:
593:Duffus Castle Virtual Tour
348:Reginald le Chen of Duffus
295:, led a rebellion against
581:"Duffus Castle (SM90105)"
246:
242:
234:
224:
216:
207:
199:
191:
162:
154:
149:
141:
128:
118:
113:
94:
57:
48:
27:
20:
623:Motte-and-bailey castles
505:Cruden, Stewart (1981).
435:The Kingdom of the Scots
390:
293:Oengus, Mormaer of Moray
385:Battle of Killiecrankie
269:motte-and-bailey castle
203:Local stone, sandstone
366:
297:David I, King of Scots
289:
364:
287:
354:, the second son of
79:57.68778°N 3.36139°W
521:Simpson, W. Douglas
507:The Scottish Castle
75: /
548:Bain, J (ed) 1888
367:
290:
225:Reference no.
210:Scheduled monument
158:c. 1140 & 1305
84:57.68778; -3.36139
638:De Moravia family
488:978-0-19-288002-4
446:Gray, James 1922
417:Northern Scotland
280:The wooden castle
250:
249:
220:27 September 1996
137:
645:
608:Castles in Moray
584:
564:
558:
552:
546:
540:
539:
529:
517:
511:
510:
502:
493:
492:
472:
466:
460:
451:
444:
438:
431:
425:
424:
412:
406:
400:
344:Reginald le Chen
338:The stone castle
332:Robert the Bruce
186:Reginald le Chen
135:
114:Site information
103:Motte-and-bailey
90:
89:
87:
86:
85:
80:
76:
73:
72:
71:
68:
53:
44:
18:
17:
653:
652:
648:
647:
646:
644:
643:
642:
613:Clan Sutherland
598:
597:
572:
567:
559:
555:
547:
543:
527:
518:
514:
503:
496:
489:
473:
469:
461:
454:
445:
441:
432:
428:
413:
409:
401:
397:
393:
340:
282:
212:
180:
131:the public
130:
105:
83:
81:
77:
74:
69:
66:
64:
62:
61:
28:
23:
12:
11:
5:
651:
641:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
596:
595:
590:
588:www.duffus.com
585:
571:
570:External links
568:
566:
565:
553:
541:
512:
509:. p. 126.
494:
487:
467:
452:
439:
426:
407:
394:
392:
389:
365:Plan of castle
339:
336:
325:Laich of Moray
281:
278:
248:
247:
244:
243:
240:
239:
236:
232:
231:
226:
222:
221:
218:
214:
213:
208:
205:
204:
201:
197:
196:
195:c.1140 to 1705
193:
189:
188:
182:Second castle:
164:
160:
159:
156:
152:
151:
147:
146:
143:
139:
138:
132:
126:
125:
120:
116:
115:
111:
110:
107:Second castle:
96:
92:
91:
59:
55:
54:
46:
45:
25:
24:
21:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
650:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
605:
603:
594:
591:
589:
586:
582:
578:
574:
573:
563:
557:
551:
545:
537:
533:
526:
522:
516:
508:
501:
499:
490:
484:
480:
479:
471:
465:
459:
457:
449:
443:
436:
430:
422:
418:
411:
405:
399:
395:
388:
386:
382:
377:
371:
363:
359:
357:
353:
349:
345:
335:
333:
328:
326:
321:
319:
315:
311:
307:
301:
298:
294:
286:
277:
275:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
253:Duffus Castle
245:
241:
237:
233:
230:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
168:
167:First castle:
165:
163:Built by
161:
157:
153:
148:
144:
140:
133:
127:
124:
121:
117:
112:
108:
104:
100:
99:First castle:
97:
93:
88:
60:
56:
52:
47:
43:
39:
35:
31:
26:
22:Duffus Castle
19:
16:
561:
556:
549:
544:
535:
531:
515:
506:
477:
470:
463:
447:
442:
434:
429:
420:
416:
410:
403:
398:
376:putlog holes
372:
368:
341:
329:
322:
317:
306:Scoto-Norman
302:
291:
252:
251:
181:
166:
150:Site history
136:No entry fee
129:Open to
106:
98:
15:
633:Clan Murray
628:Clan Cheyne
450:. Edinburgh
318:Flandrensis
192:In use
82: /
58:Coordinates
602:Categories
217:Designated
67:57°41′16″N
200:Materials
142:Condition
70:3°21′41″W
523:(2013),
352:Nicholas
310:Flanders
274:Scotland
267:, was a
265:Scotland
235:Category
174:Straloch
42:Scotland
423:: 1–19.
255:, near
238:Secular
229:SM90105
170:Freskin
101:wood -
485:
178:Duffus
145:Ruined
134:Yes —
30:Duffus
528:(PDF)
391:Notes
261:Moray
257:Elgin
172:, of
155:Built
119:Owner
38:Moray
34:Elgin
32:, Nr
483:ISBN
314:Scot
184:Sir
176:and
95:Type
604::
579:.
536:92
534:,
530:,
497:^
455:^
421:19
419:.
263:,
259:,
40:,
36:,
583:.
491:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.