Tolquhon Castle (pronounced: "toh-hon", and sometimes spelt 'Tolquhoun') is located in
Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. It lies about north-west of
Pitmedden
Pitmedden is a rural village in the parish of Udny, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated midway between Ellon and Oldmeldrum, and approximately distant from Aberdeen. In addition to local shops, primary school, church, village hall and parks, t ...
, and south of
Tarves
Tarves (; gd, Tarbhais), Aberdeenshire, is a small village, situated in the Formartine area of North East Scotland and lies between Oldmeldrum and Methlick.
History
Much of the village was planned and laid out by the Marquess of Aberdeen in ...
. The castle was built by William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhon, between 1584 and 1589 as an extension to the earlier
tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strateg ...
known as Preston's Tower. Although ruined, the castle has been described as "the most characteristic château of the Scots Renaissance".
[ It is in the care of ]Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment ...
and is open to the public.
History
Preston's Tower was constructed in the early 15th century, either by Sir Henry Preston or by his son-in-law Sir William Forbes, who inherited part of the Preston lands in 1420, following Sir Henry's death. His descendant William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhon (died 1596), began work on a new castle in 1584, retaining the Preston Tower but adding new, more comfortable accommodation. He also improved the gardens and parkland around the house. King James VI
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
was entertained at Tolquhon in July 1589. The new buildings were arranged around a courtyard, and included an elaborate gatehouse, and a first-floor gallery
Gallery or The Gallery may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Art gallery
** Contemporary art gallery
Music
* Gallery (band), an American soft rock band of the 1970s
Albums
* ''Gallery'' (Elaiza album), 2014 album
* ''Gallery'' (Gr ...
. An inscription on the gatehouse records that "AL THIS WARKE EXCEP THE AULD TOWR WAS BEGUN BE WILLIAM FORBES 15 APRIL 1584 AND ENDIT BE HIM 20 OCTOBER 1589". The home of a "Renaissance man
A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...
", Tolquhon was designed for show rather than defence, and was the work of the mason-architect Thomas Leper or Leiper. Leper's distinctive triple shot-holes flank the main entrance,[ and are also found at nearby Arnage Castle and ]Dean Castle
Dean Castle is situated in the Dean Castle Country Park in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the stronghold for the Boyd Family, who were lords of Kilmarnock for over 400 years.
The Castle takes its name from ‘The Dean’ or woode ...
in Ayrshire. Also unusual is the stone tilework in the main hall.
After William Forbes' death his descendants continued to occupy Tolquhon until 1718, when they were forced to move out due to debts incurred by the failure of the Darien scheme
The Darien scheme was an unsuccessful attempt, backed largely by investors of the Kingdom of Scotland, to gain wealth and influence by establishing ''New Caledonia'', a colony on the Isthmus of Panama, in the late 1690s. The plan was for the co ...
. The castle subsequently decayed and is now a ruin. It is in the guardianship of Historic Scotland and is open to the public. Tolquhon is also a scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
.
Description
The main entrance is on the north range of the castle, with the Preston Tower forming the north-east corner. The gallery occupies the first floor of the west range, while the main hall is in the south range, accessed via a stair from the courtyard. A prison was located within the south-east tower.[Historic Scotland Education, p. 4] To the north of the main quadrangle is the walled outer courtyard, with the remains of a doocot
A dovecote or dovecot , doocot ( Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pige ...
.[
Image:Tolquhon Castle, front and entrance.jpg, View from front
Image:Tolquhon Castle, main hall from above with surrounding countryside.jpg, Main hall from above
Image:Tolquhon Castle, central courtyard and rear living area.jpg, Central courtyard and rear living area
Image:Tolquhon Castle, detail of floor in main hall.jpg, Detail of stone tile floor in main hall
File:The Tolquhon Tomb - geograph.org.uk - 970491.jpg, The Tolquhon tomb in Tarves churchyard, erected in 1589 by William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhon, to commemorate himself and his wife Elizabeth Gordon
]
References
*
External links
*Historic Environment Scotland
Visitor guide
Tolquhon Castle Virtual Tour
{{Formartine, Aberdeenshire places, state = collapsed
Houses completed in 1589
Castles in Aberdeenshire
Listed castles in Scotland
Listed houses in Scotland
Historic house museums in Aberdeenshire
Historic Scotland properties in Aberdeenshire
1580s establishments in Scotland
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Aberdeenshire