Rothiemay: Bridge over Deveron

Local Castles and  Houses

  • Pennyburn
  • Pitlurg Castle
  • Kinnairdy Castle
  • Crombie Castle
  • Huntly Castle
  • Mains of Mayen
  • Mayen House
  • Milton Castle
  • Frendraught House
  • Avochie Castle
  • Rothiemay Castle
  • Lessendrum House
  • Durn House
  • Achoynanie
  • Grange
  • Eden Castle
  • Auchindoun Castle

In 1696 George Morison of Bognie and the Viscountess lived at Bognie House:-

"The household of Bognie, besides the Laird and Viscountess, consisted of their son and two daughters - Barbara Morison, a sister of the laird's; Elizabeth Blair, his niece; and Christian Ramsay, a niece of the lady's. There was also a chaplain, a steward, the laird's page, a man cook, a footman, and a groom; likewise, a farm grieve, five male, and three female servants - in all twenty-three persons, which bespeaks the importance and affluence of the family at the close of the 17th century."
Armorial

George Morison's Coat of Arms (granted 1673) is in Forgue Kirkyard - probably removed there from Bognie House. It consists of a Helm surmounting a Shield with three Saracen heads,
facing left, right and upwards. conjoined on one neck.

Pennyburn

Ordinance Maps refer to Conzie Castle in a field near to Mains of Bognie, but the only trace of Conzie remaining is in the name of the neighbouring farm.

In the late eighteenth century Conzie was said to have "stood a little to the west* of Bognie House, and that no indications of the site remained."

Sir Alexander Dunbar, hereditary Sheriff of Moray, obtained a charter of Conzie from James II in 1450 - the nearby lands of Frendraught were already in possession of the Dunbar family through another Alexander Dunbar's marriage in 1399 to Matilda Fraser, heiress of the ancient Barony of Ferindrach.

James Crighton inherited Frendraught from his grandmother, and acquired Conzie in 1530.

A successor, Lord Crighton, Viscount Frendraught, was a supporter of Montrose and his lands were forfeited, mostly to be acquired by George Morison, Second of Bognie whose father Alexander Morison, had obtained the lands of Bognie in 1635.

George Morison married the widowed Viscountess Frendraught, Christian (Urquhart), becaming her third husband, and he redeemed the wadset of the estate.

Bognie House

The ruin is probably Pennyburn, built by George Morison. It is a tall four storey rectangular unvaulted palatial structure, with crowstep gables - it may have had corner turrets. The window facings appear to have been removed for use elsewhere, leaving only the relieving arches. Nearby are the ruins of a doocot.  

According to a writer in the late 19th century the Bognie House was said to have been surrounded by some fine trees and nearby was an old garden, which, according to tradition, was laid out and stocked with fruit trees under the advice of Linnaeus, the famous naturalist.

The remaining part was latterly used as a farm house.

Montrose: 10th March 1645.

*south?