Horse Pot

Just outside Huntly, beside the line to Aberdeen.

The main building from the south west. This was the third castle to be built on the site and dates from the late 15th century with remodelling in 1550 and further decorated in the early 17th century. Now a Scheduled Monument.

Home to, among others, Huntly Rugby Football Club.

To the left, barely visible, a group of houses built around 1800, Listed Category C. On the right is 58 Bogie Street, dated 1793 although the looks are older and the Canmore entry indicates that title deeds date back to 1745/6. Listed Category B.

The station remained entirely mechanically signalled in 2022, except that the north loop points are electrically operated. A feature that probably dates from the singling of the line – it was formerly double track – is that both tracks through the station are signalled for use in both directions, unusual with mechanical signalling.

The station remained entirely mechanically signalled in 2022. A feature that probably dates from the singling of the line – it was formerly double track – is that both tracks through the station are signalled for use in both directions, unusual with mechanical signalling.

Typical Great North of Scotland Railway building using the traditional stonework using rectangular blocks with small infill strips.

Modern station building on the far platform.

The station area signalling is almost entirely still mechanical. See also Link For a limited installation, there is a good deal of interest, with the bracketed signal post, shunting dolly (signal), twin speed restriction signs and a milepost outside the box. The box is not listed but does have an entry in the Aberdeenshire Historical Environment Record, which dates it to the late 19th century. This refers to it as a 'gate box', i.e. not controlling the passage of trains between sections, being subordinate to a full section box at the station, but the latter has since disappeared, and the box has full signal box status again.

Close up of the point rodding and signal wires at a traditional mechanical signal box, by 2022 becoming increasingly rare. The milepost indicates a distance of 40 ½ miles from the start of the line at Aberdeen. Many railway companies indicated the quarter miles by dots or bars as being easier to spot from a moving train than numeric fractions.

Looking south west at Upper Pirriesmill with the south-eastern ridge of Clashmach Hill on the skyline.

One of numerous flocks of gimmers that went under the hammer at the mart in Huntly today.

A Scheduled Monument that comprises the remains of Huntly Castle and the tree-lined avenue that approaches it from the south. The castle began guarding the crossing of the Deveron at its confluence with the Bogie around 1180 to 1190 with the building of the Peel of Strathbogie, an earth and timber castle by Duncan II, Earl of Fife. It was revetted by a great wall at its base which sheltered Robert Bruce during the Wars of Independence. By about 1400 a massive L-plan stone tower was begun as a replacement that was burnt by the Earl of Moray. Robert the Bruce granted the castle and estate to Sir Adam Gordon of Huntly in 1506 and the castle was officially renamed Huntly Castle. By 1556 'a grand palace-block' had been created on the south side of the courtyard for the fourth Earl of Huntly, Chancellor of Scotland. The original tower was destroyed internally in 1594, when James VI wished the whole castle, the new and old work, to be slighted. However, it was decided not to completely demolish Huntly but preserve part of it for the convenience of the royal garrisons. George Gordon, 6th earl of Huntly (later 1st marquess) left Scotland in March 1595 but returned secretly, submitted to the kirk, and was restored to his estates. He then spent large sums restoring and enlarging the castle from April 1597. The Civil War brought an end to the Gordon of Huntly family's long occupation of the castle. By the early eighteenth century the castle was already in decay and providing material for predatory house builders in the village but in 1746 it was held by Government Troops against the Jacobites. George, 4th Marquis, was made Duke of Gordon in 1684 and Huntly Castle remained under the ownership of the Clan Gordon until 1923 when it was passed into State care and is now looked after by Historic Environment Scotland.