Destination: Aberdeenshire Castles
There are so many things to do and see in Aberdeenshire. According to the VisitScotland website, Aberdeenshire is located on the north-east coast of Scotland and is known as ‘Scotland’s Castle Country’ with over 260 castles, stately homes and ruins. Aberdeenshire is the area around Aberdeen city. It stretches from the Banffshire coast in the north all the way around to St Cyrus National Nature Reserve in the east. It features beautiful coastlines, pretty seaside towns, rugged cliffs and sandy bays, as well as incredible mountains and farmland as it runs towards the Cairngorms National Park.
Since there are so many sightseeing options, this post is dedicated to Aberdeenshire Castles. And with a couple hundred castles to choose from, I’m only looking at the ones that we might actually get to see. From the British Royal Family’s Balmoral Castle and Estate, to Dunnottar Castle and it’s ties to the Picts, Aberdeenshire is chock full of history to discover.
Explore the Castles
The Balmoral Castle and Estate, in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, has been the home of the British Royal Family since 1852. You can explore the Balmoral Castle Gardens and Estate on your own, or with a guided tour.
Braemar Castle, in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, was built in 1628 by the Earl of Mar. It has been a hunting lodge, fortress, garrison and family home. Braemar Castle is now leased to the community and run by a dedicated team of volunteers and staff.
Craigievar Castle is an enchanting, fairytale castle in the heart of Aberdeenshire. This Scottish Baronial style tower house was built around 1576 and is one of the best preserved in Scotland. Its exterior remains virtually unchanged since completed c1626. Craigievar was a family home until the 1960s.
Crathes Castle, Gardens & Estate is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. Steeped in history, King Robert the Bruce granted the lands of Leys to the Burnett family in 1323. The castle was built in the 16th century, and the garden has yew hedges possibly planted as early as 1702!
Drum Castle, Garden and Estate is one of Scotland’s oldest tower houses. The castle was granted to William de Irwyn by King Robert the Bruce in 1323. It remained within the family until it was handed over to the National trust of Scotland in 1975.
Dunnottar Castle is touted as one of Scotland’s hidden treasures, “Once Seen, Never Forgotten”. The history of Dunnottar Castle starts with the Picts around 5000BC and includes St. Ninian about 400BC. It played an important part throughout Scottish history until it was sold in 1717.
Near Dunnottar Castle is Kinneff Old Kirk and a fascinating history with the Honors of Scotland.
Findlater Castle is a fortress castle ruin on a 50-foot-high cliff. It dates back to 1246. The meaning of ‘Findlater’ in Gaelic is ‘white cliff’, an apt description. Findlater, and it’s safer located replacement, Cullen House both feature in George MacDonald’s books, Malcolm and The Marquis of Lossie, as well as Michael Phillip’s books Angel Harp and Heather Song. The book list, and their settings, is HERE.
Fyvie Castle, Garden and Estate has ghosts, legends, folklore and bragging rights over royal guests in it’s 800 year history. Visitors can admire an impressive portrait collection, including works by Raeburn, Batoni, Romney, Gainsborough, Opie, Lawrence and Hoppner.
Huntly Castle was originally built around 1190 to guard the crossing-point of the Bogie and Deveron rivers. About 1450, the new Earl of Huntly started building the castle, which was extensively remodeled in the 1550s. It was further embellished by yet another Earl of Huntly in 1599.
There’s More to Explore!
Many of the castles, cathedrals, historic homes and ruins can be seen with a yearly membership or a 14-day pass to National Trust for Scotland USA or Historic Environment Scotland, as we learned from planning the ill-fated 2020 trip to Scotland. There is also a Historic Houses membership that will get you in free, or discounted, to some of the places not covered by the NTSUSA or HES memberships.
On these long winter nights, I can easily be swept into a wonderful world of castles, gardens and ruins. It is a fabulous escape from the cold and snow of winter! Please share your own UK travel experiences or tips!
All of the castle images came from Pixabay. A special thanks to photographers: dp1616 for Balmoral Castle, emmagibb for Craigievar Castle, Wolfblur for Crathes and Drum Castles, Collie581 for Dunnotar Castle.
