Drum Castle is a

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 ...

near

Drumoak Drumoak (, gd, Druim M'Aodhaig, ) is a village situated between Peterculter and Banchory in North Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Drumoak is proximate to the River Dee, with Park Bridge, named for the local Park Estate, being a local crossin ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially different boundaries. The Aberdeenshire Council area inclu ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. For centuries it was the seat of the chief of

Clan Irvine Clan Irvine is a Scottish clan.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). Published in 1994. Pages 174 – ...

. The place-name Drum is derived from

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

''druim'', 'ridge'. The site is located approximately northeast of Banchory and west of Peterculter. The property is now owned by 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 organi ...

and is open to the public.

History

The original 13th-century tower of Drum Castle has been suggested as the work of

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

architect Richard Cementarius, who built the Brig o' Balgownie, the first Bridge of Don, in

Old Aberdeen Old Aberdeen is part of the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. Old Aberdeen was originally a separate burgh, which was erected into a burgh of barony on 26 December 1489. It was incorporated into adjacent Aberdeen by Act of Parliament in 1891. It ret ...

. It is believed to be one of the three oldest

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 ...

s in Scotland (and notably unaltered). A large wing was added in 1619 by the 9th

laird Laird () is the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a baron and above a gentleman. This rank was held only by those lairds holding official recognition in ...

, and further alterations were made during the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

. The castle and its grounds were granted to William de Irwyn in 1323 by

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...

, and remained in the possession of

until 1975. William de Irwyn (of the Irvings of Bonshaw clan) was armour bearer/secretary (and neighbour) to King Robert the Bruce. In June 1636 Sir Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum and his wife Magdalene Scrimgeour were censured for harbouring the outlaw Gilderoy. Drum played a role in the Covenanting Rebellion (as did nearby

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 o ...

) leading to its being attacked and sacked three times. MA(1829) p

In the 19th century, it was the home of

Alexander Forbes Irvine Alexander Forbes Irvine, 20th Laird of Drum FRSE JP DL LLD (1818–1892) was a Scottish landowner, advocate, philosopher and amateur astronomer. He was a prominent member of Clan Irvine and held the family seat of Drum Castle until his death. Life ...

of Drum

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

(1818-1892). He had inherited the estate in 1861, on the death of his father. In 1875/1876, he arranged for a restoration of the courtyard, and the addition of an arched entrance and angle tower. He was also partly responsible for a restoration of the chapel. There was an older church located here; it was modified to create the chapel in the 1500s and 1600s. In 1857, the west window was enlarged and the cross was added; a new roof was also installed and some restoration of the interior was completed. The site was once served by Drum railway station on the

Deeside Railway The Deeside Railway was a passenger and goods railway between Aberdeen and Ballater in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Opening in 1853 to Banchory, an extension reached Aboyne in 1859. A separate company, the Aboyne & Braemar Railway, built an extensi ...

. Service was discontinued in 1951.

Recent status

The castle has been a Category-A Listed property since 1987. The report states that the agreement with the National Trust was made in 1964 by Mr H.Q. Forbes Irvine, the 24th Laird, and that the agreement came into force in 1976, after 650 years of ownership by the Irvine Lairds. The summary states that the tower was built in 1280–1300, that the Jacobean Wing was added in 1619 and that modificants were made ca. 1800, 1840 and 1875. The Chapel is Category-B Listed as are the Walled Garden and East Lodge; in 1987, the garden was "derelict". The

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

, dining hall and estate may be hired for weddings and corporate functions. The current (early 2020) NTS website, however, discusses its Garden of Historic Roses, spread out over four distinct areas. The grand Victorian library with over 4,000 books was one of the attractions; the castle was also offering a "programme of temporary exhibitions throughout the year". A tourism website added that the castle "contains superb furniture and paintings. In the 16th-century chapel are a beautiful stained glass window and the Augsburg silver Madonna". The site has a playground, a small shop and a tearoom. The castle, gardens and estate are open to visitors throughout the year. During 2019, 47,446 people visited the castle.

Area's ancient history

Prehistoric habitation of the local area is known through archaeological sites such as Balbridie.

Roman legion The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period o ...

s marched from

Raedykes Raedykes is the site of a Roman marching camp located just over northwest of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. National Grid Reference NO 842902. It is designated as a scheduled monument. A marching camp was a temporary camp used mainly for ...

to nearby

Normandykes Normandykes (Grid Reference: NO 830994) is the site of a Roman marching camp to the southwest of Peterculter, City of Aberdeen, Scotland. The near-rectangular site, measuring approximately , covers about of the summit and eastern slopes of a hil ...

as they sought higher ground evading the

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

s of Red Moss and other low-lying mosses associated with the Burn of Muchalls. That march used the Elsick Mounth, one of the ancient

trackway Historic roads (historic trails in USA and Canada) are paths or routes that have historical importance due to their use over a period of time. Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient trackways ...

s crossing the

Grampian Mountains The Grampian Mountains (''Am Monadh'' in 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. The Grampian rang ...

; the situation of the Elsick Mounth terminating at a ford to the River Dee is thought to have been instrumental in the strategic siting of Drum Castle as a point to monitor traffic on the Elsick Mounth lying west of Netherley.

Gallery

The Rose Garden at Drum Castle - geograph.org.uk - 524831.jpg, The Rose Garden at Drum Castle Walled Garden, Drum Castle2.jpg, Walled Garden, Drum Castle Gateway of the walled garden at Drum Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1318513.jpg, Gateway of the Walled Garden at Drum Castle The NE cornerv of the walled garden at Drum Castle - geograph.org.uk - 3128973.jpg, North-East corner of the Walled Garden at Drum Castle The southern boundary of the Walled Garden at Drum Castle - geograph.org.uk - 3128922.jpg, Southern boundary of the Walled Garden at Drum Castle Drum Castle chapel, Drumoak, Aberdeenshire.jpg, Drum Castle Chapel Drum Castle chapel interior & altar, Drumoak, Aberdeenshire.jpg, Drum Castle chapel Interior & Altar

References

External links

Drum Castle
at National Trust of Scotland
Summer Snow - Cottonwood tree at Drum Castle

Views of Drum Castle and chapel

360 Virtual Tour of Drum Castle Grounds
{{Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire places, state = collapsed Arboreta in Scotland Castles in Aberdeenshire Category A listed buildings in Aberdeenshire Listed castles in Scotland National Trust for Scotland properties Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes Gardens in Aberdeenshire Rose gardens in Scotland Historic house museums in Aberdeenshire Lowland castles