Located in whiskey-distilling country, Balvenie Castle is a ruined courtyard castle, with a 13th-century curtain wall and surrounding ditch, a 16th century L-plan tower house, and 15th century ranges within the courtyard. It was originally built for the powerful earls of Buchan in the second half of the 1200s, making it one of Scotland’s oldest stone castles. It was taken over by Robert the Bruce in 1308, who passed it on to the ill-fated Black Douglases.

Throughout its 800 year history, the castle never saw battle or siege. After evolving into an impressive fortified residence it was abandoned as a family home in 1720.