John Slezer's Engravings of Scotland

Castle Gordon ('The Castle of Inverero')

Like the Dalkeith Castle prospect, this drawing shows a building which was considerably transformed in the 18th century. Its appearance changed greatly from what we see in this view.

Near Fochabers in Moray, the original castle was built in the 1470s and then enlarged to become a palace. It had been reconstructed by the time Robert Burns stayed there on his Highland tour of 1786. ('Castle Gordon' is also the title of one of Burns's poems.) This prospect was intended for Slezer's unpublished volume, The Ancient and Present state of Scotland. It was not included in Theatrum Scotiae until the 1719 edition.