GRAMPIAN |
| Balvenie Castle |
At Dufftown on the A941 |
A castle of enclosure
first owned by the Comyns with a curtain wall of 13th century date. Added
to in the 15th and 16th centuries. Visited by Mary Queen of Scots in 1562. |
| Balmoral Castle |
Off A93, 8 miles east of Braemar |
The Queen's Scottish holiday home, a 15th century
castle, called Bouchmorales - Gaelic for 'majestic dwelling'. The castle was bought by
Prince Albert in 1852 and he spent three years rebuilding it. |
| Braemar Castle |
On A93, 0.5 miles north-east of Braemar |
Viewed from the road Braemar castle looks like a
fortress with its rugged walls, round tower and gun slits. To the west however the walls
have spacious windows and the building presents itself as a private home. The L-shape
castle was built in 1628 by the Earl of Mar. It was burnt down in 1698 and in 1732 was
turned into a private residence. |
| Brodie Castle |
Off A96, 4.5 miles west of Forres |
Outside, all its battlemented towers with gun loops and
arrow slit windows, are a legacy of the 1560s when Scottish lairds were built with
security in mind. Inside there is a vaulted entrance hall of a building which is still the
family home of the Brodies. |
| Castle Fraser |
On A975, 5.5 miles south of Peterhead |
Castle Fraser gives the appearance of a French chateau.
It is in fact a typical baronial tower house of the 16th century built mainly by Michael
Fraser. Inside the castle a winding staircase leads to a Great Hall which is sometimes the
setting for concerts of 18th and 19th century music. |
| Corgarff Castle |
Off A939, 12 miles south |
Build in the 16th century as a small tower house,
Corgarff Castle was turned into a military barracks after the defeat of Bonnie Prince
Charlie. Today the stronghold looks like it did more than 200 years ago with recesses for
muskets, enormous stone fireplaces and replica cot beds in the barracks. |
| Craigievar Castle |
On A980, 4 miles south of Alford |
This castle seems to have grown out of the green
hillside on which it stands. It was built in the 17th century for the Forbes family and
today it is proud and imposing with a sturdy central tower and overhanging turrets. |
| Crathes Castle |
Off A93, 3 miles east of Banchory |
The square turrets and conical pepper-pot towers of
this 16th century tower house look over lime trees that are comparative newcomers being
only 200 years old. Stories and legends cling to the castle that was lived in by the
Burnetts for more than 350 years. |
| Drum Castle |
Off A93, 4 miles west of Peterculter |
For more than 650 years Drum Castle was the home of the
Irvine family, and their white lag with three sprigs of holly still fly above the
battlements of the medieval keep. The castle consists of a Jacobean mansion house with
Victorian extension which is magnificently furnished. |
| Duff House |
Off A98, 0.5 miles south of Banff |
Duff House was designed by William Adam for William
Duff and building work started in 1735. It was not until 1870 that a second classical wing
was added before the house fell into decay and disrepair. It was renovated and served as a
hotel and later housed German prisoners from the Second World War. |
| Duffus Castle |
Off B9012, 6 miles north-west of Elgin |
Built about 1150 Duffus was one of Scotland's main
defence strongholds, and for more than 500 years it served as a fortress-residence. The
castle has become a ruin with the gateway, curtain wall, part of the tower, the ground
floor keep and parts of the kitchen still standing. |
| Dunnottar Castle |
On A92, 2 miles south of Stonehaven |
The castle ruins are situated on an isolated rock 160ft
above the sea. There has been a fortress situated here since the 9th century. Access to
the castle is via a steep path leading from the beach. The two most substantial remains
are the keep and the gatehouse with the chapel retaining some of its 13th century windows. |
| Elgin Cathedral |
Cooper Park, Elgin |
Elgin's 13th century cathedral is its most revered
monument, standing in parkland to the east of the town. The twin towers of the cathedral's
west front present an elegant face although it has fallen into decay with only the shell
remaining. |
| Fasque |
On B974, 7 miles north-west of Laurencekirk |
The British prime minister WE Gladstone made Fasque his
home from 1830 to 1851. Today the palatial house looks much as it did in Gladstone's time
and it is still lived in by his descendants. |
| Fyvie Castle |
Off A947, 8 miles south-east of Turriff |
The castle's five great towers are monuments to the
five families who owned Fyvie over the last 500 years. Each of the towers is named after
one of the families. The oldest part of the castle dates back to the 13th century and
behind its stout walls is a labyrinth of rooms and passages rich in Edwardian furnishings
and 16th century tapestries. |
| Glenbuchat Castle |
On A97, 2.5 miles west of Glenkindie |
An inscription above the entrance to this stronghold
states the it was built in 1590 to mark the marriage of John Gordon of Cairnburrow to
Helen Carnegie. The castle is z-shaped with round and square turrets. A gun slit above the
entrance protects the only door. |
| Haddo House |
Off B9005, 10 miles north-west of Ellon |
A stone staircase, supported by pillars lead to the to
the first floor front door of this grand house. Designed by William Adam and lived in by
the Gordon family for more than 250 years the house has an impressive mix of architecture
and design from the 18th and 20th centuries. |
| Huntly Castle |
In northern outskirts of Huntly |
Set in 8 acres of wooded parkland the now ruined castle
is approached by a long avenue. Above the entrance is a masterpiece of masonry that was
commissioned by the 1st marquis soon after 1600. Inside the main doors stirs go down to a
prison. |
| Kildrummy Castle |
10 miles south west of
Alford on the A97 |
Though ruined, a fine
example of a 13th century castle, with a curtain wall, four round towers,
hall and chapel of that date. The seat of the Earls of Mar, it was dismantled
after the first Jacobite rising in 1715. |
| Leith Hall |
On B9002, 5 miles north-east of Rhynie |
The home of the Leith family from 1650 to 1945, the
four storeyed is a treasure trove of relics, tracing the Leith's long history. Despite the
halls indoor treasures the hall's chief beauty is the series of surrounding gardens. |
| Spynie Palace |
2 miles north of Elgin,
off the A941 |
The residence of the
bishops of Moray from the 14th century to 1686. Dominated by the massive
tower built by Bishop David Stewart (1461-77), with spectacular views over
Spynie Loch. |
| Tolbooth Museum |
North Pier, Stonehaven |
Prisoners about to be hanged for stealing were kept in
the tolbooth in the 17th and 18th centuries. Other found guilty of less severe crimes were
scourged through the town, branded on the shoulder or border through the ears with a
red-hot awl. Initially the building was used as a storehouse before becoming the town's
prison in 1600. |
| Tolquhon Castle |
15 miles from Aberdeen on
the A920 |
Built for the Forbes
family, Tolquhon has an early 15th century tower which was enlarged by
William Forbes between 1584 and 1589 with a large mansion round a
courtyard. Noted for its highly ornamented gatehouse, set within a barmkin
with adjacent pleasance. |
