Huntly is an old burgh which was granted its charter back in 1488. The area itself has a much older history and is littered with Pictish standing stones and Celtic sites. The Standing Stones of Strathbogie lie in the centre of Huntly, in the town square. Once part of a stone circle, they now lie beneath a statue to the 4th Duke of Richmond and are affectionately known in Huntly as the "Stannin Steens of Strahbogie". Another attraction in Huntly's town square is the Brander Museum which is dedicated to the history of Huntly and the surrounding area. It also tells the tale of Huntly's most famous literary artist, George MacDonald. A direct descendant of the MacDonald's massacred at Glen Coe, MacDonald wrote fairy tales and fantasy novels which inspired the likes of C.S.Lewis, J.R.Tolkien and W.H.Auden. Other exhibits at the Brander Museum in Huntly include arms from 19th century Sudan as well as relics retrieved from Huntly Castle. The most popular attraction in Huntly are the ruins of Huntly Castle, once the luxurious residence of the Earls of Huntly. Situated at the the northern edge of Huntly on the banks of the River Deveron, Huntly Castle was once home to one of the most important Catholic families in Scotland. Indeed they even gave Huntly its name for the area and its castle were formerly known as Strathbogie. Over the years, Huntly Castle has sheltered Robert the Bruce, Mary of Guise and changed hands in the turning tides of the Covenanting wars. The castle walls are still clearly decorated with ornate heraldic sculptures which now bear forlorn testament to the luxurious day-to-day life that was once the norm here. Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon raised a regiment from his Huntly estate in 1793. With their own tartan made locally by a Huntly weaver, the regiment became known as the "Gordon Highlanders". It was amalgamated with the Queen's Own Highlanders in 1995
