 The castle was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of north-east Aberdeenshire.The castle was sited on Castlehill, on the south bank of the now closed estuary flowing into Strathbeg Bay- the north bank was protected by the opposite Lonmay Castle.Specifically the castle was ""beside an inlet which led from the sea into a sheltered harbour"" on ""the harbour side"" of Rattray village.