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ESLIE Castle is situated on the north bank of the Gadie, and in the parish ofLeslie, a name derived from the family of Leslie or Leslyn, who, by tradition,possessed estates in the district as early as the eleventh century. Thepresent castle was built in 1661, and has been one of the largest and mostcommodious residences of its class in the county. Enclosed by a rampartand fosse, it was also, to the west, defended by a watch tower and drawbridge; over the gate-way is the date 1663, and above the entrance the inscription, “ Hcec Corp. Sydera Mentem.”

David, the eighth in succession from Bartholomew, who came to Scotland with MargaretQueen of Malcolm Caenmore, was the first Baron of Leslie in the Garioch ; he married Eliza-beth Leith, daughter to the Laird of Edingarroch, an ancestor of the family of Leith Hall; byher he had no family. He subsequently went to the Holy Land, and, on his return, married,secondly, the daughter of Sir Robert Davidson, Provost of Aberdeen, who was killed at thebattle of Harlaw; he had one son, Alexander, who succeeded him, and married thedaughter of George Leslie of Balquhain ; by her he had a son, supposed to have been poisonedby his stepmother. His second wife was Janet Mouat, daughter to Balquhollie; by thismarriage he had George, who became the Laird of Leslie, and married the daughter of theEarl of Rothes; his second wife was Violet Middleton, and his third, Margaret Fraser, thedaughter of Andrew Fraser of Muchals. By the first of these marriages he had Alexander,who became his heir; by his second lady he had Henry, the father of William, and of Janet,who married James Davidson, and, accompanying him to Copenhagen , died there; by his thirdwife, he had Thomas, who died a student at St. Andrews , and William, who married the daughterof Sir John Innes of Innes, he was the first “ Gudeman of Chapeltone ” Alexander, the next insuccession, married J anet, daughter of John Leslie of New Leslie. All his children by this mar-riage died young, with the exception of one daughter, Christian, to whom he made over the estate;she married Leslie of Pitnamoon ; their eldest son, J ohn, married the daughter of Dempster ofMuiresk ; of this marriage, Patrick alone survived; he married, first, the daughter of Lumsden

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