The name Huntly would have been unknown in the strath of the River Bogie until the Gordons arrived there in the 14th century. It was in 1318 or 1319 that King Robert I (the "Bruce") of Scotland gifted the Lordship of Strathbogie to his loyal supporter Sir Adam Gordon of Huntly in Berwickshire. The Gordons tried hard to persuade the local people to change the name of their village from Strathbogie to Huntly but with little success. It was not until the second half of the 18th century that the new name came into regular use.

The first Lord of Strathbogie of whom we know received his lands from King William the Lion towards the end of the 12th century. On an artificial mound near the River Deveron he built himself a timber castle. This wooden structure was replaced by a massive stone towerhouse sometime after 1376 when the Gordons settled permanently in Strathbogie. This stone castle was itself replaced by a far more spacious building about 1450. Restructuring of this "Palace of Strathbogie", as it was generally called, took place frequently during the next two hundred years.

The village of Strathbogie was situated near the Castle and for a long time comprised long rows of cottages which were built along a mediaeval highway which connected fords which crossed the rivers Deveron and Bogie. Because of these rows of houses, the village was often referred to as the Raws of Strathbogie.

As time passed the village developed into a thriving market town where milling and the extensive weaving of cloth took place. In 1488, the status of the village was raised to that of a Burgh of Barony in favour of George, 2nd Earl of Huntly.

During the Reformation, Huntly was the main stronghold of the Catholic faith in Scotland. Priests of the Counter-Reformation were sure to find sanctuary in the Castle or with prominent Gordon lairds in the vicinity. During the Reformation and during the Bishops' Wars and the Civil War of the 17th century, armies frequently traversed Strathbogie causing great hardship to the people of Huntly.

When Alexander, 2nd Duke of Gordon died, his widow raised her son Duke Cosmo as a protestant and so the link between the chief of the Gordons and Catholicism was severed.

Prosperity came to Huntly in the 18th century due to the expansion in the production of linen in the town. This was largely due to the expertise of an Irishman, Hugh McVeagh, who settled in Huntly in 1731. At the height of linen's popularity, Huntly accounted for one third of all linen cloth produced in Scotland. The linen trade collapsed due to cheap cotton goods being imported from America at the beginning of the 19th century.

In 1770, Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon had plans drawn up for enlarging the town. Up to this time, Huntly had comprised the Old Road, Castle Street, the Square and several lanes leading off the Square. Duke Alexander built new streets which were laid out in a grid system and sold off many feus for the building of houses and factories.

In 1793, Duke Alexander raised a new regiment from his estates. In this endeavour he received valuable help from his wife Jane Maxwell who is said to have kissed each new recruit. This regiment soon became known as the Gordon Highlanders and a special tartan was woven for it by Mr. Forsyth who had a weaving manufactory in the Square. The town of Huntly retained strong links with the Gordon Highlanders until they amalgamated with the Queen's Own Highlanders in 1995.

The son of the 4th Duke was George who married Elizabeth Brodie, a wealthy heiress. George had no son to follow him and so was the last Duke of Gordon. After his death, the Duchess Elizabeth built the Gordon Schools as a memorial to her late husband. This fine building was designed by the eminent architect Archibald Simpson.

The 19th century was a prosperous time for Huntly. Many new industries were established and trade further expanded when the railway came to the town in 1854. The variety of industries was astonishing for a small town - beer was brewed, whisky distilled, agricultural machinery was made, several mills on the Bogie produced cloth; there was a boot and shoe factory, a tinplate works which manufactured, amongst many other things, lamps for ships, and a millwright who supplied all sort of machinery for industry. There was even a factory which made cigarettes! Most of these industries have disappeared but to some extent new ones have taken their place.

The visitor to Huntly cannot fail to be impressed by the elegance of the town with its well-proportioned Square and many old buildings. Many come to acquaint themselves with the birthplace of the famous Victorian author George Macdonald whose stories for children in particular have enjoyed a revived popularity. Others come to view the ancient castle with its impressive heraldic doorway, its ornamental oriel windows and its gloomy dungeon. There are those who regularly come to fish for salmon in the rivers and yet others who simply enjoy walking in the attractive countryside which lies on Huntly's doorstep. It is a place well worth getting to know better!

Patrick W. Scott's book, 'The History of Strathbogie', is available from: