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Turreted stone mansion rising above bare winter trees on a hillside
Aberdeenshire

Delgatie Castle

The tower house of the Hays near Turriff, with painted ceilings of the 1570s and Queen Mary's room, restored from ruin by Captain John Hay and now home of the Clan Hay Centre.

Welcome

In the woods two miles east of Turriff, Delgatie Castle stands on a rise above its gardens, a tall harled tower house with a steep roof and crow-stepped gables.

There has been a castle here since around 1030, and after Robert the Bruce broke the power of the Comyns he gave Delgatie to Sir Gilbert Hay of Erroll. The Hays have held it, on and off, for some 650 years.

The tower you see was built in the 1570s, and its greatest treasures are its painted ceilings of 1575, covered in figures, beasts and verses. High in the tower is Queen Mary's Bower, where Mary, Queen of Scots is said to have stayed for three days after the Battle of Corrichie in 1562.

In the 1950s the castle was almost a ruin when Captain John Hay bought it and, with his wife, spent decades bringing it back to life. It feels lived in still, with his own guides in every room, a Clan Hay centre and a tearoom, the Laird's Kitchen.

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The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
Not farCullenA seaside town on Cullen Bay with a sandy beach, sea stacks, a painted Seatown under great railway viaducts, and the soup named after it.18 milesSee itCullen
Before you go

The Laird's Kitchen tearoom opens daily, 10am to 4pm; check the castle's own site for tours and events.

There are holiday flats on the estate.

Where
Two miles east of Turriff, off the A947.
Tearoom
The Laird's Kitchen, daily 10am to 4pm.

Opening hours

Monday
10am–4pm
Tuesday
10am–4pm
Wednesday
10am–4pm
Thursday
10am–4pm
Friday
10am–4pm
Saturday
10am–4pm
Sunday
10am–4pm

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Where it is

Two miles east of Turriff, reached by a minor road off the A947 and a drive through the woods.

Close byTurriff.
  1. The red sandstone front of the Auld Post Office Museum in Turriff under its blue sign.Turriff Museum and Heritage CentreTurriff's story, the Turra Coo and a corner given to Doric, kept by the town's volunteers.2 miles 5 min by road
  2. The roofless old kirk of St Congan in Turriff, its bellcote on the east gable.St Congan's Old Church, TurriffTurriff's ruined old church, with a double bellcote of 1635 and a bell of 1556.2 miles 5 min by road
  3. The wall of glass-fronted vending lockers inside Thorneybank Farm Shop, filled with onions, carrots, oranges, rolls and jars of honey.Thorneybank Farm Shop8 miles as the crow flies
  4. Fyvie Castle's towered front across the lawn, framed by dark trees.Fyvie CastleA great Baronial castle with five towers.10 miles 20 min by road
  5. Duff HouseDuff HouseWilliam Adam's Georgian palace at Banff.11 miles 17 min by road
  6. A drawing room at Haddo House, its ornate ceiling above portraits and blue chairs.Haddo HouseA Palladian mansion of the Gordons.21 miles 43 min by road
Directions
Fishing boats moored in the basin of Macduff harbour under a clear sky.AttractionsMacduff Harbour10 miles
Visitors walking towards a glass-fronted blue building beneath a rocky overhangAttractionsMacduff Marine Aquarium10 miles
An old ship's anchor set above Macduff harbour and the sea.CafeThe Platform and Annie's Cakery11 miles
The stone front of an old Banff building, its tall windows with carved surrounds.AttractionsBanff and Macduff Heritage Trail11 miles
Tall copper pot stills in the stillhouse at the GlenDronach Distillery.AttractionsThe GlenDronach Distillery11 miles
PETAL the store, MorayshireShoppingPETAL the store11 miles
Banff Bay from the hill, the sandy shore curving round to the town.AttractionsBanff11 miles
Two donkeys looking over the fence at Waulkmill Menagerie.ActivityWaulkmill Menagerie14 miles
Fishing boats moored in Gardenstown harbour beneath white houses on the hillsideAttractionsGardenstown16 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the castle, and when each is next free.

A single-storey lodge with a slated roof sits behind a stone wall and clipped hedge, mature trees shading the curving drive.Gate Lodge
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Rothiemay
  • 11 miles from Delgatie
Check datesA triangular timber cabin stands behind a wooden gate and post-and-rail fence, bare trees framing the entrance.Midpark
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Rothiemay
  • 11 miles from Delgatie
Free 31 Oct – 2 NovA stone cottage with a slated roof and a blue front door, climbing roses in pink and white flanking the porch.Butlers Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Rothiemay
  • 11 miles from Delgatie
Free 11–14 DecA grey stone cottage with dormer windows and a black front door, climbing roses either side, set behind a lawn.Bailies Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Rothiemay
  • 11 miles from Delgatie
Free 1–4 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in AberdeenshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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