Auchindoun Castle

Auchindoun Castle is a 15th-century L-plan tower ruin situated near Keith in Moray, Scotland, commanding a spectacular landscape mostly devoid of settlements. Originally possibly built by Thomas Cochrane, a favourite of King James III, it features sophisticated defensive stone vaults. The castle was sold to Sir Adam Gordon in 1567 and burned by William Mackintosh in 1580 during feuds; it had lain derelict by 1725. Accessible via an easy 1.3-mile hike through scenic moorland, the ruins stand alone in a romantic setting that epitomizes the stark beauty of the Moray Highlands.