The castle once guarded an ancient river crossing, marked on 19th-century maps as stepping stones, about 30 metres north of its walls. Just 340 metres to the south stands Killegland parish church, creating a small but significant medieval landscape along this stretch of the river.

Archaeological investigations have begun to reveal the castle’s original footprint beneath centuries of soil. In 2002, archaeologist W. O. Frazer uncovered what appears to be the castle’s southwestern wall; a substantial structure two metres thick with a cobbled surface running along its eastern side. Later excavations in 2017, led by J. Stirland, discovered extensive demolition debris including mortar and slate fragments overlying paved and cobbled surfaces, suggesting the castle once had sophisticated flooring throughout its interior.

Perhaps most intriguingly, Stirland’s work uncovered fragments of mortared rubble walls scattered across the site in a pattern that suggests they once formed a rectangular bawn, or defensive courtyard, measuring roughly 20 by 15 metres. Though no historical records mention this outer defence, the archaeological evidence points to a more complex fortification than previously thought, complete with what may have been a projecting tower at its northern corner. These discoveries paint a picture of a substantial defensive complex that once controlled this strategic river crossing, though today only subtle traces remain visible above ground.