As a medieval castle in Buchan, this is a relatively late addition to the landscape, arriving around 1491. Prior to that there were a cluster of lands on the south side of the River Ugie in the barony of Balmoor/Balmuir. This barony consisted of Balmoor, Cocklaw, Torterstoun (with the mill of Torterstoun, Buthlaw, Crockistoun, Drumblate/Drumblat, Collis, Densyde, and the Ale-House-Hill (later ‘Ellishill’)). By at least the 1440s through to the 1470s this barony was held in four parts, having been divided by heiresses of the surname Fenton. Then, in 1572, George Gordon, the Earl of Huntly reunited this old barony, and granted it to Alexander Dunbar of Westfield.[1] This reunification was not to last long, however, as the lands would again be split.
The important thing to note in charting the history so far, is that there was no mention of Ravenscraig or the Craig of Inverugie. Balmoor seems to have been the most important, and is likely where any previous manorial centre was located. We can thus set aside the idea that Ravenscraig Castle has a significantly longer history prior to 1491 than is sometimes suggested.
On 7 May 1491 King James V confirmed a charter in favour of Sir Gilbert Keith of Inverugie and his wife Jonet Graham ‘for his faithful service, and for the special favour which the king has borne toward him’ the superiority of the lands of Torterston, Buthlaw, the Scots Mill, and the rock commonly called ‘Ravenniscraig’, in the sheriffdom of Aberdeen. The lands had previously been under the superiority of George, Earl of Huntly, which that man resigned. These lands made up a separate entity alongside Gilbert’s well-established Inverugie lordship. Moreover, the king granted Gilbert free licence, to build and construct a castle or fortress upon the said rock ‘with iron bars, battlements, machicolations, portcullises, drawbridges, and other defences for the secure keeping of the said castle’.[2]
Why Sir Gilbert wanted to build a new castle so close to his existing powerbase of Inverugie, which was within eyesight of Ravenscraig, is unclear. It could just be that as these were separate lands from those of Inverugie, they should have an appropriately grand focal point to express his prestige. He may have always planned to carve this out as a lordship for a younger son.
[1] RMS, ii, no.220, pp.52-3; no.618, p.138; no.631, p.140; no.735, p.154; no.1065, p.221;
[2] RMS, ii, no.2030, p.426