Castle Roy: A Medieval Tower Hidden in Strathspey
Tucked away just outside the village of Nethy Bridge in Strathspey stands the quiet but impressive ruin of Castle Roy.
Perched on a grassy mound, this roofless stone tower has stood here for more than seven hundred years. It is one of those places that you might drive past and it’s sight is a suprise. An imposing medieval castle by the side of the road and only a short walk away if you park up at Nethy Bridge.
Meaning of Roy
The name Castle Roy may come from the Gaelic “ruadh” meaning red. Ruadh possibly referring either to the colour of the stone or to the “Red Comyn” who was killed by Robert the Bruce.
Why the Comyns built castles in Strathspey
The Comyns did not choose this location by chance. Strathspey lay on an important route linking the Moray coast with the central Highlands and the passes through the Cairngorms. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries Strathspey formed part of an important route through the Highlands. Travellers, merchants and royal messengers moving between the Moray coast and the central Highlands often passed through the Spey valley.
By building castles along these routes, the Comyns could monitor movement, protect their lands and assert control over their territory in Badenoch.
Rather than relying on a single great fortress, the Comyns maintained a network of castles across northern Scotland. Each controlling different routes and districts.
From sites like Castle Roy the Lords of Badenoch could control movement through the Spey valley. Overseeing local settlements, and protect their influence across a large and strategically important territory.
During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries powerful families often established a network of small fortified residences. Rather than relying on one great castle. Castle Roy likely formed part of this wider system of Comyn strongholds controlling Badenoch and the surrounding districts.
Its position near Abernethy also placed it close to valuable resources including woodland, grazing land and access to the River Spey. All essential for supporting a medieval household. Castle Roy therefore functioned not just as a defensive structure but as a local administrative centre. Rents were collected, disputes settled and the authority of the Comyn lords was enforced.
Other castles linked to the Comyn power base
Several important castles were associated with Comyn power in this region, including:
Lochindorb Castle
A large island fortress south of Nairn which later became a major royal stronghold.
Ruthven Castle
A strategic site in Badenoch guarding the route through the central Highlands.
Blair Castle
Originally established by the Comyns before later passing to the Stewarts and then the Dukes of Atholl.
Balvenie Castle
Another Comyn stronghold controlling routes through Moray.
A castle from the age of the Comyns
Archaeological evidence suggests Castle Roy dates from the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. Carbon dating placing activity here between about 1190 and 1220.
The castle is usually associated with the powerful Comyn family, Lords of Badenoch. The Comyns were one of the most influential noble families in medieval Scotland. Fierce rivals of Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
When Bruce killed John Comyn III of Badenoch in 1306 at Greyfriars Church, the Comyn power base collapsed. Many of their castles were destroyed or abandoned during this turbulent period, and Castle Roy was likely one of them.
What happened to the Comyns
After the killing of John Comyn by Robert the Bruce in 1306, the Comyn power base collapsed. Their lands were seized, their castles were destroyed or abandoned. One of the most powerful families in medieval Scotland effectively disappeared from the political landscape of the Highlands.
Approaching Castle Roy
Today a short path leads from the parking area across open ground towards the mound where the castle stands. Information boards explain the layout of the original fortification and the archaeological work carried out here.
Climbing the mound
From the path you can see the thick stone walls rising above the grass. The castle itself is a rectangular tower house with substantial walls, once enclosing a courtyard space.
Although the structure is roofless today, the surviving masonry still gives a strong impression of the original fortress.
How the castle was arranged
Evidence suggests the castle consisted of a rectangular courtyard enclosure roughly 24 metres by 16 metres, surrounded by a high stone curtain wall, with the main entrance passage likely located in the north east wall.
Archaeological work has revealed fascinating details about the castle’s construction and how people lived here. Excavations uncovered parts of the internal layout and areas linked to the castle’s service spaces. Evidence of timber buildings built against the inner walls of the courtyard. Also with stone stairs, wall passages and a garderobe chute built into the masonry.
The garderobe system. Evidence shows the chieftain’s latrine at ground level along with two additional upper level latrines built into the wall thickness.
Archaeological finds (specific artefacts)
Artefacts recovered during excavations included iron nails from timber structures, fragments of medieval pottery and large quantities of animal bone, including cattle, sheep, goat, red deer and horse. Fish bones were also discovered, suggesting that the river played an important part of the castle diet.
The Wolf of Badenoch
If Castle Roy could talk, it might have some wild stories to tell. One figure often associated with the area is the notorious Alexander Stewart, better known as the Wolf of Badenoch.
Alexander Stewart was the son of Robert II of Scotland and ruled much of Badenoch and the surrounding lands in the late fourteenth century. His reputation was fearsome. Medieval chronicles describe him as a violent and lawless lord who terrorised the region.
His most infamous act came in 1390 when he burned the town of Elgin, including the great cathedral. The attack shocked medieval Scotland and earned him lasting notoriety.
Castle Roy had already fallen into decline by this time, but the castle sits within the very landscape over which the Wolf of Badenoch once held power. Standing on the mound today, it is not hard to imagine the turbulent world of Highland lordships. Rival clans and shifting loyalties that shaped this part of Scotland.
Clan Grant succession
When Robert the Bruce killed John Comyn in 1306, it triggered a political collapse so dramatic that many of these castles were captured, destroyed or transferred to Bruce supporters within a few years. By the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the lands of Abernethy passed into the hands of Clan Grant, who became the dominant clan of the region and remain strongly associated with the area today.
A small landscape detail
The castle sits on a small glacial mound above Strathspey, giving wide views across the surrounding countryside and toward the Cairngorm Mountains.
Wildlife and landscape
The land around the castle is now managed as wildlife habitat. The surrounding meadows have been developed as wildflower areas, encouraging insects and pollinators.
![Wildflower meadow interpretation board at Castle Roy site]
Alt text: Information board describing the wildflower meadow project supporting wildlife around Castle Roy.
It is a peaceful setting today, with views across the Speyside countryside and forests nearby.
Who manages the site today
Castle Roy is now cared for by the Castle Roy Trust, a local charity formed to conserve the site, support archaeological research and improve visitor access. The Castle Roy Trust, took ownership of the site in 1994 and has spent decades stabilising the ruin and opening it safely to the public.
After nearly thirty years of conservation work, the castle was consolidated and formally opened to visitors in 2022, making it one of the first scheduled monuments in the Cairngorms National Park to be restored and made fully accessible.
Campervans and visiting
In the summer months the Trust also allows campervans to stay overnight in the grounds, using a simple honesty box system for contributions towards maintaining the site. Visitors arriving by campervan will notice that overnight stays are welcomed in the car park during the summer months. Contributions are collected through an honesty box system, helping support the ongoing care of the castle and its grounds.
Murdo and Buster
For the past seven years visitors arriving at Castle Roy were often greeted not just by the medieval ruins but by two very well known local characters. Murdo the Highland cow and his loyal companion Buster the sheep grazed beside the castle and quietly became the unofficial guardians of the site.
Murdo had been hand reared as a calf after suffering joint illness which left him with arthritis for the rest of his life. Vets warned he might never reach adulthood, yet he went on to live well beyond expectations and even celebrated a remarkable 10th birthday in June 2024, with more than 500 people gathering to celebrate the much loved coo.
Sadly Murdo struggled through his final winters and, as the colder weather returned in November 2024, the difficult decision was made to let him go peacefully. His old friend Buster, who had reached a great age himself and was no longer strong on his feet, made that final journey with him. Their bond had been so close that those who cared for them felt it was the kindest thing to do.
Over the years thousands of visitors photographed the pair with the ruins of Castle Roy rising behind them, capturing a scene that felt perfectly Highland.
Today a life sized replica of Murdo now stands near the castle so visitors can still take the traditional photograph and remember the gentle guardian who once stood there.
Visiting Castle Roy
Castle Roy is easy to visit and makes a worthwhile short stop if you are exploring Strathspey or travelling through the Cairngorms.
There is parking nearby and a short walk leads to the site. Information panels provide useful context about the castle’s history and archaeological discoveries.
Even in ruins, the tower still feels like a fragment of the turbulent medieval Highlands.
