Old Slains

This is where I live, on a remote coastal peninsula in Aberdeenshire, NorthEast Scotland, almost halfway between the towns of Aberdeen and Peterhead and the site of Old Slains castle, an ancient seat of the Hay family, Earls of Erroll. The lands of Slains were gifted to Sir Gilbert Hay by Robert the Bruce in recognition for his loyal service during the 'wars of Independence' against the English. In 1594 Old Slains Castle was destroyed with gunpowder and cannon by James VI in retribution for the Hays' involvement in the Roman Catholic/Spanish plot known as the 'Treaty of the Spanish Blanks'. Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll, fled into exile and only returned to Scotland in 1597. Instead of trying to repair Old Slains he opted to rebuild Bowness castle, north of Old Slains, and renamed this castle New Slains. The village of “Old Castle” became a thriving fishing and smuggling community until the early 20th century, when the village was abandoned. Of the 19 original houses, only 4 remain.