Craigievar Castle is a pinkish

harl Harling is a rough-cast wall finish consisting of lime and aggregate, known for its rough texture. Many castles and other buildings in Scotland and Ulster have walls finished with harling. It is also used on contemporary buildings, where it pr ...

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

or fortified country house south of Alford,

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...

, Scotland. It was the seat of

Clan Sempill Clan Sempill is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Publishe ...

and the Forbes family resided here for 350 years until 1963, when the property was given to the

National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...

William Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill William Francis Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill, , (24 September 1893 – 30 December 1965) was a Scottish peer and record-breaking air pioneer, who was later shown to have passed secret information to the Imperial Japanese military before t ...

, in the 1960s. The setting is among scenic rolling foothills of the

Grampian Mountains The Grampian Mountains (''Am Monadh'' in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic) is one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, that together occupy about half of Scotland. The other two ranges are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands. T ...

, and the contrast of its massive lower storey structure to the finely sculpted multiple

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope * Mi ...

gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

s and high

corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...

ling work to create a classic fairytale appearance.

History

An excellent example of the original

Scottish Baronial Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Scot ...

architecture, the great seven-storey castle was completed in 1626 by the

Aberdonian Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

merchant

William Forbes Billy, Willie or William Forbes may refer to: Financiers *Sir William Forbes, 6th Baronet (1739–1806), Scottish banker *William Forbes of Callendar (1756–1823), Scottish coppersmith and landowner *William Howell Forbes (1837–1896), American b ...

, ancestor of the

Forbes baronets There have been five Baronetcies created for people with the surname Forbes, four in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. The first holder of the Burn Baronetcy of Jessfield, created in the Baronetage of ...

of Craigievar and brother of the

Bishop of Aberdeen The Bishop of Aberdeen (originally Bishop of Mortlach, in Latin Murthlacum) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Nech ...

, Patrick Forbes of

Corse Castle Corse Castle near Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire, now ruined, was a fortress and centre of a landed estate in the north-east of Scotland. The present castle dates from the 16th century and stands by the Corse Burn, around north-west of Lumphanan. ...

. Forbes purchased the partially completed structure from the impoverished Mortimer family in the year 1610. He arranged for the continued construction, completing it in 1625 or 1626. Forbes was nicknamed "Danzig Willy", a reference to his shrewd international trading success with the

Baltic states The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...

. Some used the nickname "Willy the Merchant", also based on the substantial profits he made while "merchandising at Dantzick", according to one source. Craigievar Castle in Autumn

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 Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) King James I ...

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

in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

. 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 Lord Sempill (also variously rendered as Semple or Semphill) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in circa 1489 for Sir John Sempill, founder of the collegiate Church of Lochwinnoch. Sempill was killed at the Battle of Flodde ...

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 An L-plan castle is a castle or tower house in the shape of an L, typically built from the 13th to the 17th century. This design is found quite frequently in Scotland, but is also seen in England, Ireland, Romania, Sardinia, and other location ...

, as was

Muchalls Castle Muchalls Castle stands overlooking the North Sea in the countryside of Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The lower course is a well-preserved Romanesque, double-groined 13th-century tower house structure, built by the Frasers of ...

, which is located in the same region, Craigievar is noted for its exceptionally crafted

plasterwork Plasterwork is construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior or exterior wall structure, or plaster Molding (decorative), decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called parge ...

ceilings. Craigevar,

and

Glamis Castle Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis (, ) in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public. Glamis Castle has been the home of the Lyon family since the 14th century, thoug ...

are generally considered to have the three finest ceilings in Scotland. The

Clan Forbes Clan Forbes is a Highland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland. History Origins The name Forbes is most probably a location name assumed from the lands of Forbes in Aberdeenshire, in possession of this family reputedly since the time ...

family was close friends of the

Clan Burnett The House of Burnett (Burnet, Burnette, Burnard, Bernard) is a Lowland and Border Scottish family composed of several branches. The Chief of the Name and Arms of Burnett is James Comyn Amherst Burnett of Leys. Origins of the name It remains unc ...

of Leys, who built both

Crathes Castle Crathes Castle (pronounced ) is a 16th-century castle near Banchory in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. It is in the historic county of Kincardineshire. This harled castle was built by the Burnetts of Leys and was held in that family for a ...

and

. The ceilings feature plaster figures of the

Nine Worthies The Nine Worthies are nine historical, scriptural, and legendary men of distinction who personify the ideals of chivalry established in the Middle Ages, whose lives were deemed a valuable study for aspirants to chivalric status. All were commonly ...

and other family emblems.

19th century

David Young Cameron - Craigievar Castle - B2001

By the early 1800s, 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." He decided to restore the building. Roof repairs were undertaken circa 1826; a timber base covered with slates was used. At about the same time, "the towers were altered and raised and a new entrance door was put in, which was subsequently restored to the original entrance" according to the records of the Aberdeenshire Council. Reconstruction of almost the entire top floor was also completed. 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 A portcullis (from Old French ''porte coleice'', "sliding gate") is a heavy vertically-closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications, consisting of a latticed grille made of wood, metal, or a combination of the two, which slides down gr ...

or gate covering the entrance door which is named a

yett A yett (from the Old English and Scots language word for "gate") is a gate or grille of latticed wrought iron bars used for defensive purposes in castles and tower houses. Unlike a portcullis, which is raised and lowered vertically using mecha ...

. According to the folklore of the area, the castle is haunted by one or more ghosts.

20th century

The Forbes family also owned a large granite house at

Fintray Hatton of Fintray, commonly referred to as Fintray, is a village on the River Don in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in the parish of Fintray. It was a textile village and its church dates from 1821, and there used to be a nearby ferry crossing the ri ...

near

Inverurie Inverurie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Uraidh'' or ''Inbhir Uaraidh'', 'mouth of the River Ury') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the confluence of the rivers Ury and Don, about north-west of Aberdeen. Geography Inverurie is in the vall ...

, Aberdeenshire. This became the family's main residence for a number of years until the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. During the war, Fintray House was used as a hospital for wounded Belgian soldiers. In 1963, the family donated the Craigievar estate to the National Trust for Scotland which took over operation. Since 1990, the estate has been a Listed building of the Aberdeenshire Council. By the late 1970s, the castle interior boasted a

Great Hall A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, castle or a large manor house or hall house in the Middle Ages, and continued to be built in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries, although by then the family used the great ...

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 was 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 housed two original

Henry Raeburn Sir Henry Raeburn (; 4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Biography Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a fo ...

portraits complete with original receipts.

21st century

Between November 2007 and 2009, the castle was closed for its exterior to be given a new

, 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. One report provided these specifics about the work and the state of the castle as of 2010:

The tower was renovated and rehabbed ... featuring a traditional lime-based alternative to concrete-based harling and returning the castle to what would have been its original shade of pink. The castle interior boasts a Great Hall that has the Stuart Arms over the fireplace; a musicians’ gallery; a secret staircase connecting the high tower to the Great Hall; Queen's Bedroom; servants' quarters and several splendid plasterwork ceilings. The castle contains a collection of Forbes family portraits and furnishings dating to the 17th and 18th centuries.

No artificial lighting was ever added to the upper floors of the castle, so the artefacts would be viewed in the same natural light as they were during the previous centuries. In 2019, a report provided this summary of the castle grounds:

"Little remains of the 17th century designed landscape and the grounds around the Castle date from the late-18th and early-19th centuries. Further planting, particularly of ornamental conifers, was added at the end of the 19th century. In the 1930s a rock garden was created behind the coach house and, more recently, flower borders were added around the Castle and in the kitchen garden".

In early 2019, a volunteer discovered what is apparently the original door of the property, made of oak; it was replaced in 1825 and was considered to be missing until 2019. The door was subsequently restored and put on display. By 2013 the castle, its grounds, and an estate of over of adjoining farmland and woodland were in their 50th year as a property of the National Trust for Scotland. Visits to the castle were allowed from Easter, or from the first of April (whichever is the earlier), until the end of September. In 2018, the castle was open between April and June, on Fridays to Tuesdays for guided tours; the grounds were open throughout the year. The site received 24,072 visitors in 2019. The National Trust continued to operate tours of the castle in 2019, but during 2020, the estate was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK; on reopening in July, visits were allowed only on the grounds for the rest of the season. A September 2020 report states that the castle "holds a foremost place among the examples of what is known as the fourth or L period, from the form of ground plan upon which nearly all the Scottish castles of that date".

In popular culture

The castle is reputed to have been the inspiration for

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

's castle motif.

References

Notes

Other sources

Tranter, Nigel Nigel Tranter OBE (23 November 1909 – 9 January 2000) was a writer of a wide range of books on castles, particularly on themes of architecture and history. He also specialised in deeply researched historical novels that cover centuries of Sco ...

(1966), ''

The Fortified House in Scotland ''The Fortified House in Scotland'' is a five-volume book by the Scottish author Nigel Tranter. Written between 1962 and 1970, it covers almost seven hundred buildings in Scotland which fall under the general description of "fortalices, lesser ...

'', Volume IV,

Oliver & Boyd Oliver and Boyd was a British publishing and printing firm that traded from 1807 or 1808 until 1990.

External links

Craigievar Castle at the National Trust for Scotland Craigievar Castle Grounds Virtual Tour
{{coord, 57.1742, N, 2.7181, W, region:GB-ABD_type:landmark, display=title Castles in Aberdeenshire National Trust for Scotland properties Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes Category A listed buildings in Aberdeenshire Listed castles in Scotland Gardens in Aberdeenshire Historic house museums in Aberdeenshire Houses completed in 1626 1626 establishments in Scotland Tower houses in Scotland