Drum Castle is a castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. For centuries it was the seat of the chief of Clan Irvine. The place-name Drum is derived from Gaelic druim, 'ridge'.

The original 13th-century tower of Drum Castle has been suggested as the work of medieval architect Richard Cementarius, who built the Bridge of Don in Old Aberdeen. It is believed to be one of the three oldest tower houses in Scotland (and notably unaltered). A large wing was added in 1619 by the 9th laird, and further alterations were made during the Victorian era.

The castle and its grounds were granted to William de Irwyn in 1325 by Robert the Bruce, and remained in the possession of Clan Irvine until 1975. William de Irwyn (of the Irvings of Bonshaw clan) was armour bearer/secretary (and neighbor) to King Robert the Bruce. Drum played a role in the Covenanting Rebellion (as did nearby Muchalls Castle) leading to its being attacked and sacked three times.

The castle is surrounded by late 18th-century gardens, including a rose garden and arboretum containing trees from all regions of the 18th century British Empire.

In the 19th century it was the home of Alexander Forbes Irvine of Drum FRSE (1818-1892). He was responsible for restoring the chapel.

Today, the castle is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is open during the summer months. The chapel, dining hall and estate may be hired for weddings and corporate functions. A variety of local events such as classic car rallies and musical fetes also occur here. There is also a small shop and tearoom within the castle.

Prehistoric habitation of the local area is known through archaeological sites such as Balbridie. Roman legions marched from Raedykes to nearby Normandykes as they sought higher ground evading the bogs of Red Moss and other low-lying mosses associated with the Burn of Muchalls. That march used the Elsick Mounth, one of the ancient trackways crossing the Grampian Mountains; the situation of the Elsick Mounth terminating at a ford to the River Dee is thought to have been instrumental in the strategic siting of Drum Castle as a point to monitor traffic on the Elsick Mounth lying west of Netherley.

Drum Castle

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Crathes Castle (pronounced Crath-es) is a 16th-century castle near Banchory in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. This harled castle was built by the Burnetts of Leys and was held in that family for almost 400 years. The castle and grounds are owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland and are open to the public.

Crathes sits on land given as a gift to the Burnett of Leys family by King Robert the Bruce in 1323.

In the 14th and 15th century the Burnett of Leys built a fortress of timbers on an island they made in the middle of a nearby bog. This method of fortification, known as a crannog, was common in the Late Middle Ages. Construction of the current tower house of Crathes Castle was begun in 1553 but delayed several times during its construction due to political problems during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots.

It was completed in 1596 by Alexander Burnett of Leys, and an additional wing added in the 18th century. Alexander Burnett, who completed the construction of Crathes, began a new project, the early 17th-century reconstruction of nearby Muchalls Castle. That endeavour was completed by his son, Sir Thomas Burnett. Crathes Castle served as the ancestral seat of the Burnetts of Leys until given to the National Trust for Scotland by the 13th Baronet of Leys, Sir James Burnett in 1951. A fire damaged portions of the castle (in particular the Queen Anne wing) in 1966. Another historically important structure in this region linked to the Burnett of Leys family is Monboddo House.

Crathes Castle

Castle Fraser is the most elaborate Z-plan castle in Scotland and one of the grandest 'Castles of Mar'. It is located near Kemnay in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. The castle stands in over 300 acres (1.2 km2) of landscaped grounds, woodland and farmland which includes a walled kitchen garden of the 19th century. There is archaeological evidence of an older square tower dating from around 1400 or 1500 within the current construction.

Construction
Originally known as Muchall-in-Mar, construction of the elaborate, five-storey Z-plan castle was begun in 1575 by the 6th Laird of Fraser, Michael Fraser, on the basis of an earlier tower, and was completed in 1636. A panel on the northern side of the castle is signed "I Bel", believed to be the mark of the master mason John Bell of Midmar, the castle is a joint creation over several decades with another master mason of this period, Thomas Leiper.

Castle Fraser is contemporary with other nearby castles: Craigievar Castle, Crathes Castle and Midmar Castle which are also believed to have been designed by the Bell family of master masons.

The castle was modernised in a classical style in the late 18th century, with a new entrance inserted in the south side and sash windows throughout. This work was supervised by Elyza Fraser, the lady laird, assisted by Mary Bristow. Elyza was also responsible for the landscaping of the grounds, sweeping away the remains of the original formal gardens and orchards, and for the construction of the impressive octagonal stable block.

The interiors of the building were entirely reconstructed again between 1820 and 1850, by Charles Fraser, using the architects John Smith and William Burn. The Library is a fine example of John Smith's regency style with Tudor detailing. Many of William Burn's more extravagant gothic designs for the most important rooms were not carried out, although a gothic style pipe organ was installed (now removed to Kemnay Church).

External works during this period included the construction of the twin gatehouses (still extant), and a grand domed stair and access corridors with loggias in the courtyard (removed).

The castle was given a partial 'restoration' by the new owners around 1950. The architect and antiquary Dr William Kelly supervised the removal of much 19th-century work to reveal the earlier fabric.

Castle Fraser retains the atmosphere of a family home and still contains the original contents, including Fraser family portraits, furniture and collections. The evocative interiors represent all periods of the castle's history, from the Medieval stone vaulted Great Hall to the Regency Dining Room.

Ownership
Castle Fraser was built as the home of the Frasers of Muchalls, later Frasers of Castle Fraser. The castle was passed down through the Lords Fraser, the Frasers of Inverallochy and then the Mackenzie family who took the name Mackenzie Fraser. In 1897 the last male Fraser of the direct line, Frederick Mackenzie Fraser, died childless. In 1921 his widow, Theodora, sold the castle due to the lack of a suitable heir and mounting financial difficulties. The buyer was Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray. The Pearson family restored the castle as a shooting lodge and gave it to the National Trust for Scotland in 1976.

Popular culture
Legend has it that a young princess was once staying at the castle when she was brutally murdered while asleep in the 'Green Room'. Her body was dragged down the stone stairs, leaving a trail of blood stains. As hard as they tried, the occupants of the castle could not scrub out the stains, and so were forced to cover the steps in wood panelling, which remains today. It is said she still stalks the halls of the castle during the night. It is more likely, however, that the stone stairs were covered to make them easier to climb as they were used as the servants stairs in the 19th century.

Some scenes in the 2006 film The Queen, starring Dame Helen Mirren, featured Castle Fraser as a backdrop.

Today, the castle is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The castle is open to visitors from Easter to October. The grounds and walled gardens are open year round. It can be hired for weddings, dinners, conferences and corporate events.

Castle Fraser

Fetteresso Castle is a 14th-century towerhouse, rebuilt in 1761 as a Scottish gothic style Palladian manor, with clear evidence of prehistoric use of the site. It is situated immediately west of the town of Stonehaven in Kincardineshire slightly to the west of the A90 dual carriageway. Other notable historic fortified houses or castles in this region are Dunnottar Castle, Muchalls Castle, Fiddes Castle, Cowie Castle and Monboddo House.

Prehistory
From cropmarks in the "policies" (improved areas) around Fetteresso Castle, there is evidence of a ring-ditch sited at the north end of a cursus. A cursus is a prehistoric set of parallel linear structures of unknown purpose that were, somewhat fancifully, considered by antiquarians as used for some type of athletic competition, possibly related to hunting or archery; this is unsubstantiated. In 1822 a cairn was discovered near Fetteresso Castle with some human remains inside. The burial site was clearly a Bronze Age construct by the size and shape of the chamber made of unhewn whinstone. Some legends tell that this is the grave of Malcolm I, who is recorded to have been slain at Fetteresso in 954 AD. The burial hillock has become known as Malcolm's Mount, even though it is not likely from current archaeological analysis that the crypt could be so recent. In 1998 a burial urn from the beaker people was found at Fetteresso Castle. The Roman Camp of Raedykes is located several miles northwest, where a full legion encamped and many archeological recoveries have been made. This location is one of a string of marching camps that connected Angus to Moray.

Middle Ages
The property is recorded to have been owned by the Strachans, but passed by marriage in the 14th century to the Clan Keith Earls Marischal, who built the towerhouse. The Earls Marischal also held the nearby fortress, Dunnottar Castle.

17th and 18th centuries
The characteristic Scottish designs of crow-stepped gables were introduced, and the battlement crenellation elements were introduced. A dovecote of considerable height was constructed in the 17th century to the south of the castle itself. In the year 1659 a woman, Jean Hunter, lived at Fetteresso. From her behaviours, she was accused of witchcraft and hanged at her home. An artist and wright named Alexander Charles worked at Fetteresso as an overseer. Charles flourished in 1671 to 1678 and published his drawings in at least one book. Late in the 17th century, the Duff family controlled Fetteresso and expanded the building around the old towerhouse.

20th century
In the 1940s, the castle was owned by Maurice and Geraldine Simpson (née Pringle). She was the heir to the Pringle Knitware fortune. Subsequently, the Simpsons acquired and lived in nearby Muchalls Castle. L After the Simpsons' tenure at Fetteresso, the roof was off the castle for some period starting around 1954, and the castle bought by a local landowner and then left to the Don family in his will. In the latter part of the 20th century, the castle was restored, greatly modified, to yield seven houses, which is its present use. As of 2006 Mrs. Simpson still resides in the local area.

Fetteresso Castle

Cluny Castle was originally built c.1604 as a Z-plan castle replacing either a house or small peel tower. Sited in the parish of Cluny, it is south of Monymusk and north of Sauchen in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. Owned by three separate branches of Gordon families over the centuries, it was used to shelter Jacobite rebels in the mid-18th century. Extensive additions were made in 1820 to the design of architect John Smith when it was in the ownership of Colonel John Gordon. Two wings of the castle and the adjoining private chapel were destroyed by fire in 1926, but the damage was restored.

It is a Category A listed building and has been used as a film setting. The grounds are included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

As of 2016 it remains privately owned by the Baron of Cluny who has employed craftsmen to complete extensive renovations. It is not open to the public but corporate events are hosted there and weddings are held in the chapel.

History
On an unknown date prior to 1325 King Robert the Bruce granted the lands of Cluny (Gaelic meaning meadow or "meadows interspersed with rising grounds") to his sister Mary's husband, Alexander Fraser. The lands passed down through the family, via Adam Gordon of Huntly and the Earls of Huntly, to John Gordon, a younger son of the 3rd Earl. His son Sir Thomas Gordon (d. 1607) built the castle to replace an earlier house or peel tower. The lands were inherited by his son, Alexander Gordon, who became the fourth laird of Cluny. By 1636 the cost of building the castle combined with other financial difficulties caused ownership of the lands to be transferred. The castle had various owners, probably creditors, until 1680, when it became the property of Robert Gordon, of the Gordonstoun branch of the family. It remained in the hands of this family until the mid-18th century.

The Gordons of Cluny were implicated in the Jacobite Rising of 1745, and had also incurred debts. This resulted in the castle passing to a third branch of the Gordon family around 1753, although the exact date is unknown. The new proprietor John Gordon (1695–1769) was of obscure origins. He was an Edinburgh merchant as well as a factor to Cosmo Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon. John Gordon's son was also named Cosmo Gordon (1736–1800) and he inherited the estate on his father's death in 1769. He was a politician and co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He did some work at the castle, although records give no indication of what was involved. Plans for a re-design were commissioned from Robert Adam in 1790 and from his business partner and younger brother James in 1793, though this work was never carried out. Pre-deceased by his wife, Mary Baillie, Cosmo Gordon died without issue in 1800 and was succeeded by his brother Charles, described by architectural historian H. Gordon Slade as "eccentric and excessively penurious". When Charles died on 8 May 1814, various bequests were made to his children; his eldest son John, later an army colonel and a member of Parliament, inherited Cluny and the remainder of the properties plus £30,000. No money had been spent on the estate during the years it was owned by Charles Gordon.

It was under the ownership of Colonel Gordon that extensive additions were made to the castle, commencing around 1820. He had previously inherited the estates of his uncle, a merchant in West India, and the Colonel continued to extend his fortune, purchasing additional lands including North and South Uist, Benbecula and Barra. The Colonel died in 1858; a description included in his obituaries was "the richest commoner in the northern part of the kingdom." In The Times dated 23 July 1858, his assets were estimated at between £2–3 million and it stated he was "without doubt the richest commoner in Scotland." He was unmarried but had four illegitimate children; all bar his eldest son John (c.1820–1878) pre-deceased him. Despite a series of litigations lasting 20 years, in 1858 the estates were inherited by his natural son John, who became an Aberdeenshire Militia captain from 29 March 1852. The captain continued the castle renovations and improved the general policies[b] by additions of artificial lakes and woodland.

Captain Gordon also died without issue in 1878. Emily Pringle, his second wife, married Sir Reginald Cathcart becoming Lady Cathcart. The estates were overseen by a trust set up by Colonel Gordon (the Cluny Trust). In September 1926 a fire started near the kitchen causing extensive damage to two wings of the castle and destroying the private chapel. After Lady Cathcart's death in 1932, the estate passed to Captain Gordon's cousin, Charles Arthur Linzee. He adopted the name Linzee Gordon to comply with a stipulation made by Colonel Gordon in a codicil added to his will on 21 June 1852. In an earlier legal document dated 5 October 1835 the Colonel had declared that he wished his illegitimate children to inherit but he did not intend to get married to facilitate it. The codicil ensured the family name was continued by mandating that any heirs to the estates "shall be bound and obliged constantly to bear, use and retain the surname of 'Gordon' and arms and designation of 'Gordon of Cluny' in all time after their succession to, or obtaining possession of, my said lands and estates, as their proper surname, arms and designation."

Historic Scotland listed the castle as a Category A listed building in April 1971.

Cluny Castle

Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.

The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse. The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site are listed buildings.

Early Middle Ages

A chapel at Dunnottar is said to have been founded by St Ninian in the 5th century,[4] although it is not clear when the site was first fortified, but in any case the legend is late and highly implausible. Possibly the earliest written reference to the site is found in the Annals of Ulster which record two sieges of "Dún Foither" in 681 and 694. The earlier event has been interpreted as an attack by Brude, the Pictish king of Fortriu, to extend his power over the north-east coast of Scotland. The Scottish Chronicle records that King Domnall II, the first ruler to be called rí Alban (King of Alba), was killed at Dunnottar during an attack by Vikings in 900. King Aethelstan of Wessex led a force into Scotland in 934, and raided as far north as Dunnottar according to the account of Symeon of Durham. W. D. Simpson speculated that a motte might lie under the present caste, but excavations in the 1980s failed to uncover substantive evidence of early medieval fortification. The discovery of a group of Pictish stones at Dunnicaer, a nearby sea stack, has prompted speculation that "Dún Foither" was actually located on the adjacent headland of Bowduns, 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the north.

Later Middle Ages
During the reign of King William the Lion (ruled 1165–1214) Dunnottar was a center of local administration for The Mearns. The castle is named in the Roman de Fergus, an early 13th-century Arthurian romance, in which the hero Fergus must travel to Dunnottar to retrieve a magic shield. In May 1276 a church on the site was consecrated by William Wishart, Bishop of St Andrews. The poet Blind Harry relates that William Wallace captured Dunnottar from the English in 1297, during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is said to have imprisoned 4,000 defeated English soldiers in the church and burned them alive. In 1336 Edward III of England ordered William Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin, to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying the site as a forward resupply base for his northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters. Edward himself visited in July, but the English efforts were undone before the end of the year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Murray led a force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar.

In the 14th century Dunnottar was granted to William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (d.1370), and in 1346 a licence to crenellate was issued by David II. Around 1359 William Keith, Marischal of Scotland, married Margaret Fraser, niece of Robert the Bruce, and was granted the barony of Dunnottar at this time. Keith then gave the lands of Dunnottar to his daughter Christian and son-in-law William Lindsay of Byres, but in 1392 an excambion (exchange) was agreed whereby Keith regained Dunnottar and Lindsay took lands in Fife. William Keith completed construction of the tower house at Dunnottar, but was excommunicated for building on the consecrated ground associated with the parish church. Keith had provided a new parish church closer to Stonehaven, but was forced to write to the Pope, Benedict XIII, who issued a bull in 1395 lifting the excommunication. William Keith's descendents were created Earls Marischal in the mid 15th century, and they held Dunottar until the 18th century.

16th century rebuilding
Through the 16th century the Keiths improved and expanded their principal seats: at Dunnottar and also at Keith Marischal in East Lothian. James IV visited Dunnottar in 1504, and in 1531 James V exempted the Earl's men from military service on the grounds that Dunnottar was one of the "principall strenthis of our realme". Mary, Queen of Scots, visited in 1562 after the Battle of Corrichie, and returned in 1564. James VI stayed for 10 days in 1580, as part of a progress through Fife and Angus,[19] during which a meeting of the Privy Council was convened at Dunnottar. During a rebellion of Catholic nobles in 1592, Dunnottar was captured by a Captain Carr on behalf of the Earl of Huntly, but was restored to Lord Marischal just a few weeks later.

In 1581 George Keith succeeded as 5th Earl Marischal, and began a large scale reconstruction that saw the medieval fortress converted into a more comfortable home. The founder of Marischal College in Aberdeen, the 5th Earl valued Dunnottar as much for its dramatic situation as for its security. A "palace" comprising a series of ranges around a quadrangle was built on the north-eastern cliffs, creating luxurious living quarters with sea views. The 13th-century chapel was restored and incorporated into the quadrangle. An impressive stone gatehouse was constructed, now known as Benholm's Lodging, featuring numerous gun ports facing the approach. Although impressive, these are likely to have been fashionable embellishments rather than genuine defensive features.

Civil wars
In 1639 William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal, came out in support of the Covenanters, a Presbyterian movement who opposed the established Episcopal Church and the changes which Charles I was attempting to impose. With James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, he marched against the Catholic James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne, Earl of Huntly, and defeated an attempt by the Royalists to seize Stonehaven. However, when Montrose changed sides to the Royalists and marched north, Marischal remained in Dunnottar, even when given command of the area by Parliament, and even when Montrose burned Stonehaven.

Marischal then joined with the Engager faction, who had made a deal with the king, and led a troop of horse to the Battle of Preston (1648) in support of the royalists. Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Engagers gave their allegiance to his son and heir: Charles II was proclaimed king, arriving in Scotland in June 1650. He visited Dunnottar in July 1650, but his presence in Scotland prompted Oliver Cromwell to lead a force into Scotland, defeating the Scots at Dunbar in September 1650.

Later history
The seized estates of the Earl Marischal were purchased in 1720 for £41,172, by the York Buildings Company who dismantled much of the castle.[17] In 1761 the Earl briefly returned to Scotland and bought back Dunnottar only to sell it five years later to Alexander Keith (1736-1819), an Edinburgh lawyer who served as Knight Marischal of Scotland. Dunnottar was held by Alexander Keith then his son, Sir Alexander Keith (1768-1852) before being inherited in 1852 by Sir Patrick Keith-Murray of Ochtertyre, who in turn sold it in July 1873 to Major Alexander Innes of Cowie and Raemoir for about £80,000. It was purchased by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, in 1925 after which his wife embarked on a programme of repairs. Since that time the castle has remained in the family, and has been open to the public, attracting 52,500 visitors in 2009.

Dunnottar Castle, and the headland on which is stands, was designated as a scheduled monument in 1970. In 1972 twelve of the structures at Dunnottar were listed. Three buildings are listed at category A as being of "national importance": the keep; the entrance gateway; and Benholm's Lodging. The remaining listings are at category B as being of "regional importance".The Hon. Charles Anthony Pearson, the younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the 210-square-kilometre (52,000-acre) Dunecht Estates. Portions of the 1990 film Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, were shot there.

Dunnottar Castle

Kincardine Castle is a Victorian country house in Royal Deeside, Scotland. It is 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north-east of the village of Kincardine O'Neil, and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) east of Aboyne on the north side of the River Dee, Aberdeenshire.

History
The castle was built in 1894-6 to Scots Baronial designs by Niven and Wigglesworth of London. David Barclay Niven trained in Dundee and moved to the office of Sir Aston Webb in London where he swiftly became principal designer at the time Webb was working on designs for the Victoria and Albert Museum. Webb later went on to design notable London buildings including Admiralty Arch, The Mall and the principal facade of Buckingham Palace. Herbert Hardy Wigglesworth trained in Aberdeen under Alexander Marshall Mackenzie before moving to the London office of Ernest George and Peto. The architects set up in business together and Kincardine Castle was their first major commission. They were influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and this shows in the design which incorporates features from five centuries of building styles. The building is essentially an essay on architecture.

The entrance tower hints back to a 14th century keep with its plain rendered walls, battlement and cap house. There's even a high-level door half hidden by the ornate portico. The addition of windows in the SW face of this tower in the 1930s somewhat detracted from the intended effect. Another tower consists of twin drum towers corbelled to the square and back again to round turrets and these twin towers are linked with an arch - the whole is similar in effect to the Seaton Tower at Fyvie Castle from 1599. While the building has five circular turrets it also has one square turret very similar in style to those at Crathes Castle (late 16th Century). Much of the remainder of the building reflects fairly standard Scottish Baronial architecture from 17th and 18th centuries. The rear elevation of the building is the plainest and more akin to the work of Charles Rennie Macintosh though the architects retained crow-stepped gables and as a result the property doesn't leak as disastrously as Macintosh's Hill House. It is a category B listed building.The house was built on the site of, and incorporating part of, an earlier building called Kincardine Lodge, dating from around 1780.

Around 1900, T. H. Mawson discussed the possibility of planning gardens, but no plans were produced. At the heart of a 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) estate, the castle is not open to the public, but serves as a venue for meetings, private dining, marquee events and weddings. There are extensive gardens including a Walled Garden, Planetary Garden and Wilderness which are open for one day in June under the Scotland's Gardens scheme and at Pop-up events such as the regular First Friday café held on the 1st Friday of each month (except January and possibly August).

Kincardine Castle

Drumtochty Castle is a neo-gothic style castellated mansion erected in the year 1812 approximately three kilometres northwest of Auchenblae, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This castle stands on the southern edge of Drumtochty Forest. Other noted castles in Kincardineshire are Fasque House, Fetteresso Castle, Dunnottar Castle and Muchalls Castle.

The castle was built to the designs of James Gillespie Graham with further extensions c. 1815. Although the design for the extensions was again commissioned from Graham Gillespie, the actual work was undertaken by the Aberdeen City Architect John Smith. Miller speculates Gillespie Graham could have had a dispute with George Drummond, the owner, but considers Smith's closer proximity to the site is a more plausible scenario. Gillespie Graham was involved with further additions c. 1839.

During the Second World War, Drumtochty Castle was bought by the Norwegian government in exile and used as a boarding school for Norwegian children who were refugees from the German occupation of Norway.

Drumtochty Castle

Craigievar Castle is a pinkish harled castle 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the seat of Clan Sempill and the Forbes family resided here for 350 years until 1963, when the property was given to the National Trust for Scotland by William Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill. The setting is among scenic rolling foothills of the Grampian Mountains. The contrast of its massive lower storey structure to the finely sculpted multiple turrets, gargoyles and high corbelling work create a classic fairytale appearance.

An excellent example of the original Scottish Baronial architecture, the great seven-storey castle was completed in 1626 by the Aberdonian merchant William Forbes, ancestor of the Forbes baronets of Craigievar and brother of the Bishop of Aberdeen, Patrick Forbes of Corse Castle. Forbes purchased the partially completed structure from the impoverished Mortimer family in the year 1610. Forbes was nicknamed Danzig Willy, a reference to his shrewd international trading success with the Baltic states.

William's son became a Baronet of Nova Scotia by Charles I and this title is now extant. The Forbes Baronetcy, of Craigievar in the County of Aberdeen, was created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on 20 April 1630 for William Forbes. He was also a descendant of Hon. Patrick Forbes, third son of the second Lord Forbes, and the nephew of the first Baronet of the 1628 creation. The fourth Baronet represented Aberdeenshire in the House of Commons. The 5th Baronet married the Hon. Sarah Sempill, eldest daughter of Hugh Sempill, 12th Lord Sempill. Their grandson, the eighth Baronet, succeeded as seventeenth Lord Sempill in 1884 (see the Lord Sempill for earlier history of this title). The titles remained united until the death of his grandson, the 19th Lord and tenth Baronet, in 1965.

Designed in the L plan, as was Muchalls Castle, which is located in the same region, Craigievar is noted for its exceptionally crafted plasterwork ceilings. Craigevar, Muchalls Castle and Glamis Castle are generally considered to have the three finest ceilings in Scotland. The Clan Forbes family was close friends of the Clan Burnett of Leys, who built both Crathes Castle and Muchalls Castle. The ceilings feature plaster figures of the Nine Worthies and other family emblems.

By the early 19th-century, the tower had fallen into decay. Sir John Forbes had considered demolishing the tower and consulted the Aberdeen city architect John Smith who advised against that course of action, stating the tower was: "one of the finest specimens in the Country of the age and style in which it was built." Roof repairs were undertaken and involved the re-construction of almost the entire top floor. The windows, external harling and pointing were replaced and it is likely Smith also designed the gardener's cottage.

The castle originally had more defensive elements including a walled courtyard with four round towers; only one of the round towers remains today. In the arched door to that round tower are preserved the carved initials of Sir Thomas Forbes, William Forbes' son. There is also a massive iron portcullis or gate covering the entrance door which is named a yett.

The castle interior boasts a Great Hall that has the Stuart Arms over the fireplace; a musicians gallery; secret staircase connecting the high tower to the Great Hall; Queen's Bedroom; servants' quarters and of course several splendid plasterwork ceilings. There is a collection of Forbes family portraits inside as well as a considerable quantity of Forbes furnishings dating to the 17th and 18th centuries. The castle also houses two original Henry Raeburn portraits complete with original receipts.

The Forbes family also owned a large granite house at Fintray near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. This became the family's main residence for a number of years until the Second World War. During this time, Fintray House was used as a hospital for wounded Belgian soldiers.

Between November 2007 and October 2009, the castle was closed for its exterior to be given a new harl, returning it to what is believed to be a close equivalent of the harling put in place during the refurbishment of 1820. It was reopened to the public in April 2010.

In 2013 the castle, its grounds, and an estate of over 200 acres (81 ha) of adjoining farmland and woodland, entered their 50th year as a property of the National Trust for Scotland. They are open to the public from Easter, or from the first of April (whichever is the earlier), until the end of September. Access to the castle, apart from the shop, is by guided tours only, with each tour lasting between 45 minutes and one hour, with tours starting approximately every thirty minutes, on a "first come, first served" basis. For conservation and visitor enjoyment reasons, the group size for individual tours is limited to ten people, so large groups and coach tours need to book in advance. Full details of opening dates and times can be found on the National Trust for Scotland website.