Castle Stuart
| Castle Stuart | |
|---|---|
| Petty, Inverness, Scotland | |
Castle Stuart in 2009 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Tower house |
| Owner | Private |
| Condition | Restored |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 57°31′41″N 4°06′22″W / 57.528°N 4.106°W |
| Grid reference | grid reference NH744494 |
| Site history | |
| Built | between 1619 and 1625 |
| Built by | The 3rd Earl of Moray |
| In use | 17th century; 20th and 21st centuries |
Castle Stuart is a restored tower house on the banks of the Moray Firth, about 6.5 miles (10 km) northeast of Inverness.
The land the castle was built on was granted to the 1st Earl of Moray by his half-sister, Mary, Queen of Scots, following her return to Scotland in 1561. The successive murders of Lord Moray and his son-in-law, the 2nd Earl of Moray, meant that the castle was finally completed by his grandson, the 3rd Earl of Moray, in 1625.
Though the castle initially flourished, it fell into disuse as the fortunes of the House of Stuart sank during the English Civil War and King Charles I was executed. The castle lay derelict for 300 years before being restored; it is currently used as a luxury hotel.