| c.140 | Ruthven one of few places in north Scotland mentioned in Ptolemy's Geographical Account of Britain, ancient Greek writer says it is situated in the province of Moray, and gives it the name of Bayasia. |
| c.1229 | Walter Comyn becomes Lord of Badenoch; erects castle #1 (motte and bailie type?) |
| 1311 | Badenoch included in Earldom of Moray; Thomas Randolph, Earl; Bruce's nephew |
| 1314 | Battle of Bannockburn; Clan Mhuirich supports winner, Robert the Bruce |
| 1329 | Robert the Bruce dies; succeeded by only surviving son, David II |
| 1371 | Robert II, Bruce's grandson succeeds David; Badenoch granted to Robert's son, Alexander, known as 'the Wolf of Badenoch' |
| 1386 | Battle of Invernahavon |
| 1390 | Robert III succeeds father; the Wolf burns Elgin Cathedral |
| 1396 | Clan Battle on the North Inch at Perth |
| 1406 | James I succeeds father but is captured by English ; held captivity in England; |
| 1411 | Battle of Harlaw : Earl of Mar defeats forces of Donald of the Isles |
| 1424 | James I ransomed and returns to Scotland |
| 1428 | James I visits Inverness and imprisons Alexander of the Isles along with other Highland chiefs including Duncan the Parson (?) |
| 1437 | James II succeeds father killed by Sir Robert Graham at Perth |
| 1451 | Ruthven Castle seized and demolished by John of the Isles and Earl of Ross; Lordship of Badenoch granted to Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly |
| 1452 | James III succeeds father killed by exploding cannon at Roxburgh |
| 1459 | Castle rebuilt on grander scale (at least #2 on this site) |
| 1479 | Earl of Huntly establishes Priory of Kingussie |
| 1488 | James IV succeeds father, murdered by assassin |
| 1513 | James V succeeds father who was killed at Flodden |
| 1542 | Mary (7 days old) succeeds father who died of remorse after defeat at Solway Moss; Mary taken to France at 8 years of age |
| 1558 | Mary at age 16 weds Dauphin Francis soon to succeed to throne of France |
| 1561 | Francis II dies; Mary returns to Scotland. |
| 1562 | Battle of Corrichie; Alexander Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly killed ; also Donald Og of Cluny fighting for his feudal senior |
| 1563 | Mary visits Ruthven with deer hunting party |
| 1567 | Mary forced to abdicate; succeeded by 13 month old son, James VI; New castle raised at Ruthven (#3) |
| 1594 | Castle successfully defended by Andrew of Cluny from Earl of Argyll just before Battle of Glenlivet |
| 1603 | Elizabeth of England dies; succeeded by James VI/I |
| 1647 | Castle captured by Covenanting forces of General David Leslie |
| 1649 | Castle captured by Thomas Mackenzie of Pluscardine but retaken by Leslie |
| 1654 | Castle visited by English Gen. Monck in pursuit of Royalist force |
| 1689 | Castle burned by Graham of Claverhouse (June) |
| 1718 | Construction of barracks begins on the site to house government soldiers with the intent of 'overawing the populace of Badenoch' |
| 1745 | Barracks successfully defended from Prince Charles Edward's forces but captured later |
| 1746 | Barracks burned after Prince Charles tells surviving forces of his army who rallied there after defeat at Culloden to disband. |