Deskie Castle

Deskie Castle was a medieval tower house that is thought to have been near Bridgend of Livet, Moray, Scotland.

History

Little is known of the castle apart from a traditional rhyme:

Glenlivet it has castles three,
Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie.

Structure

Deskie Castle is the local name for an irregular oval knoll which is scarped and somewhat levelled. The mound runs about 90 metres (300 ft) north-west to south-east and about 36 metres (118 ft) north-east to south-west. The height is about 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in). There are traces of walling around the edges to the west and north. There is evidence of another 1-metre wide (3 ft 3 in) wall crossing the summit. It is all on a boggy slope which faces south-west, while a natural escarpment overlooks on the north and east. Three short earthen banks, each around 9 miles (14 km) wide and 2 metres (7 ft) high, are located strategically to the west and north-west of the mound, but it is not known if the banks once formed an uninterrupted line of defence. The earthworks are not constructed in the motte-and-bailey style, but it is thought possible in view of the traditions associated with the site that they are the remains of a medieval stronghold. It is a scheduled monument.

See also

• Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
• List of castles in Scotland