Fond farewell to Buster the cat who made a Scottish castle his home
Buster, in true regal style, invaded the castle and made it his own
It was a castle home to one of Scotland great noble families - and served most recently as the residence of Buster the cat.
Staff and visitors of Huntly Castle in Aberdeenshire this week bid farewell to the regal puss who made the castle his own for the past three years.
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
Originally from a loving family in the town, Buster turned up at Huntly Castle a few summers ago and decided to take up residence in the ruined renaissance pile instead.
From sleeping in a chair in the office to patrolling the visitor centre, Buster enjoyed the attention that life at the castle afforded him - and in turn he became highly protective of his impressive territory.
He would often roam the grounds seeking out visitors - and any dogs who dared to wander onto his patch.
Graham Smith, district visitor and community manager at Historic Environment Scotland, which manages the castle, described Buster as a “confident” puss who made the castle his own.
Mr Smith said: “Buster wandered to the castle three seasons ago, gave us a visit and then stayed. Technically he has a home and a family in Huntly, but he forsook them and came to the castle.
“We tended to find he liked to be around the castle and made it somewhat his territory and was a bit protective of it. He also liked human company, so he tended to camp out in the visitor centre - and then slept on one of the chairs in the office.
“He was not a big fan of dogs and he would go and check out those people who came in with dogs, so they certainly remembered him as well.”
Mr Smith said staff were “very much used to having Buster around” and were “obviously sad that he is not around anymore”.
Buster had an accident on Wednesday and never recovered, Mr Smith said.
While part of everyday life at the castle, the cat was also well known in the town at large.
Mr Smith said: “We also have a great team of volunteers at the castle and they were very connected to Buster and through them there was a strong connection with the wider Huntly community.
“Technically he was not a castle cat, he never belonged to us. He was just with us, but you certainly felt he was a castle cat.”
Staff at Huntly Castle posted their own tributes on social media to Buster, who “brought so much joy to staff, volunteers and visitors from near and far”.
“We will miss you terribly, Buster, “ the post added.
Huntly Castle stands just north of the town where the River Deveron and the River Bogie meet with its long history punctured with sieges and attacks.
A castle was first built at the site in the 12th century and served as the seat of power for a major local lordship. In the 14th century, the castle passed to the Gordon family, one of the most powerful families in the north of Scotland, who played a pivotal role in the political and religious developments of late medieval Scotland.
In the 16th century, the family rebuilt the castle as a palatial residence in the Renaissance style, the ruins of which still dominate the site.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.