Castle Hunting in Aberdeenshire
A day by car, from Drum Castle to Fyvie Castle.
Written by Graeme Johncock
With more castles per acre than anywhere else in Scotland, it’s no surprise that Aberdeenshire is known as “Castle Country”. Driving around the countryside when I was at university in Aberdeen, hopping from castle to castle, gave me an even deeper love for these epic historic buildings. There are so many castles around Aberdeenshire, it can be hard to know where to start, so here’s my pick of the most accessible that you can easily visit in just one day.
The route
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
Drum Castle
An attraction
Drum Castle is an incredibly impressive castle to begin the day with. While other families abandoned old medieval towers to crumble in favour of more modern mansions, the Irvines embraced their historic home. Granted this land in 1323 by Robert the Bruce, they may have added new wings, but the Tower of Drum still stands proudly at its heart! There are plenty of stories in those old walls, but my personal favourite surrounds the 17th Laird of Drum. A loyal Jacobite, he was forced to go into hiding following the 1745 Rising, but rather than flee the country, he hid in secret rooms inside Drum Castle any time the soldiers came knocking!
About 10 min by car
Crathes Castle
An attraction
Crathes Castle might not be as large as Drum, but it feels a little more luxurious. Built in the late 1500s by the Burnetts, I used to work inside its harled walls, but I’m not biased when I tell you it’s an incredible place. Alongside family heirlooms, several of the rooms have original painted ceilings that transport you back to the 16th century. Be careful in one of the upper rooms though, the Green Lady famously haunts Crathes, seen carrying a baby towards the fireplace. Legend says that she was the daughter of a Burnett Laird who got pregnant by a stableboy and subsequently disappeared!
Hidden Scotland Shop
An attraction
Just outside the castle grounds, you’ll find a courtyard of independent retailers at Milton of Crathes, most important amongst them – the Hidden Scotland Shop! It’s an ideal place to pick up some authentic Scottish products, including the Scotland’s Stories book.
About 15 min by car
Midmar Stone Circle
An attraction
There’s a lot more than castles in Aberdeenshire and there’s one thing here that you won’t find anywhere else – recumbent stone circles! Unlike other stone circles that you can find around Scotland, these have one enormous stone lying horizontally with two pillars flanking it. Midmar is particularly interesting to me because it’s right in the middle of a churchyard. We don’t know much about what the stones were used for thousands of years ago, but if it was in any way spiritual or even ritualistic, then that tradition is still continued today with the church!
Forest Cafe
A café
Head into the nearby woods for a perfect lunch at the Forest Café. Alongside your usual soups, potatoes and paninis, the smash burgers are absolutely fantastic!
About 10 min by car
Castle Fraser
An attraction
With roots back to the 15th century, Castle Fraser was once home to a lower branch of Clan Fraser but you wouldn’t know it from how grand the building is! Rather than adding extra wings to the castle or moving to a mansion with more space, the Frasers just made the place even bigger! Castle Fraser is packed full of secrets, from hidden staircases and trap doors to a laird’s lug that let the host spy on his guest’s conversations! You could spend hours going through all the curiosities held within the castle, but make sure you have both the time and energy to climb right to the top of the tower! Climbing out onto the roof, the view across the fields and woodlands is an amazing one!
More about Castle FraserAbout 35 min by car
Fyvie Castle
An attraction
The castle-packed day ends with one of the most impressive in the region. Fyvie Castle is simply enormous, it’s like every family who took over the building added their own tower to it! Said to have been cursed by the 13th-century prophet Thomas the Rhymer, the castle hasn’t had an easy past and neither have its inhabitants. In the 16th century, Alexander Seton married Lilias Drummond, but the relationship soon soured. The cruel laird of Fyvie locked his wife away to starve in a tower, wasting no time in marrying again. There was no peaceful wedding night though and after hours of terrifying noises at the window, when dawn broke the name D Lilias Drummond was etched into the ledge!
Make it a weekend
Days that start near Fyvie Castle.
More days by Graeme
Graeme has written these too.
.jpg)
Photographs by myinstascotland and Graham Robertson; Ian Burl via Google