The Battle of Corrichie

Fall of the Ambitious Earl and the End of a Highland Dream

By the mid-16th century, George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, was arguably the most powerful nobleman in Scotland. His vast estates stretched from the Borders to the Highlands, and his family—descended from the ancient Clan Gordon—held sway over Deeside, Strathbogie, and beyond. Huntly was not just a Highland laird; he was a king in all but name north of the Tay.

Loch Kinnord, nestled in the shadow of the Cairngorms, had once been a modest defensive post. Under George Gordon, it became a stronghold once more. The Earl repaired its stone walls, garrisoned it with men loyal to his cause, and even built a chapel nearby to serve the spiritual needs of his private army. The Gordon estate was a state within a state—and for a time, that suited Huntly just fine.

But ambition, when mixed with the shifting tides of politics and religion in Reformation Scotland, often led to ruin.