Tower of Bowness was an early 17th century stone tower and courtyard palace, founded by Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Errol. Standing against the sea cliff, the two storey courtyard palace was built after King James VI had Old Slains Castle destroyed in 1594. A corridor was added within the courtyard in 1664 and the palace was given a new entrance in the early 18th century. John Smith enlarged and rebuilt Slains in the Scottish Baronial style in 1836-7 and the Hays sold the castle in 1916. Abandoned in 1925 and now a roofless shell, to the south the base of the original tower still survives. Picture © Neil Goodwin