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Peel Ring of Lumphanan

Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire
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Explore the site of an early timber castle which featured briefly during the Wars of Independence with England.

The Peel Ring of Lumphanan was a simple early castle made mostly of earth and timber. It is one of only a few that had a water‑filled moat around it.

At this site Sir John de Melville, the lord of Raith, submitted to Edward I of England in 1296. The castle was abandoned shortly afterwards. The foundations of a medieval residence built on the summit of the castle mound can still be seen.

Lumphanan earthwork mound with a stone path leading up to it, surrounded by dry grass and trees, with hills visible in the background.
Wide view of farmland near Lumphanan, with green fields, scattered trees, and rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky.
A stone path leading through grassy terrain toward the Peel Ring of Lumphanan under a dramatic cloudy sky.
Lumphanan earthwork mound partially covered with heather, surrounded by tall dry grass and trees under a cloudy sky.

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