The imposing ruins of Huntly Castle barely 7mi/11km further north stand on the site of the medieval Strathbogie Castle, which was until the middle of the 16th C the seat of the Gordon family, the most powerful family in the region. The first Norman castle was burnt down in 1452 by Moray, but was rebuilt by the fourth Earl Gordon of Huntly
starting in 1554. Forty years later it was destroyed again. The main section of the ruin dates from the restoration of 1602 undertaken by the first Marquis of Huntly. The entrance hall is decorated with weapons and heraldic ornamentation. Above the fireplace in the palace hang two portrait medallions of the first marquis George Gordon and his wife Henriette Stewart. The 15th C tower house is the oldest part of the complex, but the bakery, east and west wings and stables were added in the 16th and 17th centuries.