Tour Scotland travel video clip, with Scottish music, of Bucholie Castle located 5 miles South of Duncansby Head on visit to the East Coast of Caithness in the North Highlands. It stands on on a peninsula 100 feet high, cut off from land by a trench 7 feet wide and 9 feet deep. Around 1140, a fortress called Lambaborg was first built on this site by Sweyn Asleifsson the notorious Viking pirate and robber. During his career he menaced the whole Western coast of Scotland, the Isle of Mann and Ireland until finally ambushed and killed while leading a raid on Dublin. Early in the 14th century, Robert the Bruce granted Lambaborg and the lands of Freswick to the Mowat family. They remodeled the Viking stronghold into a castle and named it Bucholie after their estate in Aberdeen. Bucholie Castle remained in the Mowat family until 1661 after which it fell into disrepair.
It is said that the Mowats settled in Scotland in the reign of King David I and were originally of Norman origin from the surname Monhault or Montealto; they moved to the north of Scotland in the 12th century as well as being found in Orkney and Shetland. Sir William of Montealt obtained the Lordship of Ferne in Forfarshire from King William the Lion and in 1214 Richard de Montealto justiciary of Scotland witnessed a confirmation of King Alexander II. Bernard de Mowat along with the Abbot of Balmerino and several knights and nobles accompanied Princess Margaret to Norway but on their return their ship was wrecked and they drowned. In 1289 William de Mowat was one of the signatories of the letter to King Edward I of England regarding the projected marriage of his eldest son with Princess Margaret. Bernard Mowat of Peebleshire bore arms against the King of England at Methven and for "feloniously slaying some of the King's liegemen there, and slaying Roger de Tany the King's valet in Selkirk forest, and burning and destroying churches in Scotland" was sentenced to be hanged and drawn.
The surname Mowat was first found in Angus, Gaelic: Aonghas, part of the Tayside region of North East Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire, where they were granted lands by King David I of Scotland. Spelling variations of this family name include: Mowatt, Mouat, Mowat, Mouatt and others.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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