The castle, near the source of the River Don, controls a ford over the Spey Valley road via the Lecht pass. The 16C fortified house was a hunting lodge and was later turned into a garrison for government troops after the 1748 rising, at which time the lower wings and a star-shaped curtain wall were added. The castle was abandoned in the early 19C but served again from 1827 to 1831 to house troops garrisoned there to combat whisky smuggling.