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