Beta Help us improve: share your feedback on our new website.

Duffus Castle

Near Elgin, Moray
Historic Environment Scotland logo
Open all year round
View gallery

Visit this medieval stronghold of the Moray family, one of Scotland’s finest motte and bailey castles.

Duffus Castle was a fortress–residence for more than 500 years, from the 1100s to the 1700s. The stone castle we see today was built in the 1300s, replacing an earlier timber stronghold.

Once one of the strongest castles in Scotland, Duffus was reduced to a decaying ruin by the time it was abandoned in 1705. Even so, it remains an impressive sight, rising dramatically from the flat landscape of the Laich of Moray.

[Order | PDF]Distant view of Duffus Castle ruins on a grassy mound, silhouetted against a dramatic, cloud‑filled sky.
Stone ruins of Duffus Castle on a steep grass‑covered motte, viewed from below under a clear blue sky.
Close view of Duffus Castle ruins, showing stone walls, steps and a wooden walkway on the grassy motte.
Wide landscape view of Duffus Castle ruins on a grassy hill under a pale sky.

Support us

Help protect Scotland’s heritage today, so its stories, places and history can be shared for generations.
Donate