Craigievar Castle Alford in Aberdeenshire, you can find this pinkish castle 6 miles off the A980, 6 miles south of Alford and 26 miles west of Aberdeen, check it out with Alford Tourist Attractions. Craigievar Castle was the seat of Clan Sempill and the Forbes family for 350 years until 1963, when the property was given to the National Trust for Scotland by William Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill.
The castle Begun around 1576, in the Scottish Baronial style, over the centuries the castle become a quirky blend of cosy interiors and rare antiquities within the ancient walls, this iconic tower house is among one of the best preserved in Scotland, the exterior remains virtually unchanged since William Forbes completed it in1626, interesting artefacts in Craigievar are 2 original portraits by Raeburn that are complete with a receipt signed by the painter himself, a striking feature of Craigievar is the wood-panelling and ornate ceilings in most of the rooms, Craigievar castle appears to have been built as a family home first, and defensive features were added later.
Discover Alford Tourist Attractions & Craigievar Castle
- Craigievar Castle Postcode AB33 8JF
- Craigievar Castle Geolocation 57.174121Β° N Longitude: -2.718048Β° W
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The setting for this iconic castle is among scenic rolling foothills of the Grampian Mountains, with ancient woodland filled with wild flowers, which are carpeted with snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells as the seasons change, here you will find three standing stones dating back thousands of years, carved with weathered Pictish symbols which can be found near the Ballroom and are listed as an ancient monument, the contrast of its massive lower storey structure to the finely sculpted multiple turrets, gargoyles and high corbelling work create a classic fairy tale appearance.
- Access to the castle is via guided tour only. These last 40β50 minutes, run approximately every 30 minutes and are limited to 10 people per tour.
The Castle can be hired for weddings, with Packages being available to host pre-wedding breakfasts or post-wedding brunches for your guests and a free Professional Wedding Planner, a marquee can be erected on the castle lawn for catered events as there are no facilities for dining or drinks receptions inside the castle, the Castle can also be hired for corporate events and private parties, it is a magnificent setting that offers you and your guests exclusive use of the entire private castle for three days and three nights, full of antiques, paintings and history, the beautifully equipped Aberdeenshire Scottish Castle comfortably sleeps up to 42 guests in 15 bedrooms, it has a indoor infinity pool, a cinema room, a bar, Permanent Ballroom, and two outdoor hot tubs, You can order in a massage or a whole pamper day, or just relax and enjoy the surroundings just outside the bustling silver city of Aberdeen.
There are two waymarked trails around the castle grounds with a wide variety of plants and animals to see such as deer, otters, wild birds such as kestrels, buzzards, flowers, trees, red squirrels, butterflies,salmon and trout, cows and sheep
For the kids of all ages there are two quizzes that can be done inside the castle.
Craigievar Castle is set is among scenic rolling foothills of the Grampian Mountains, it can be found 6 miles south of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
The Castle has a massive lower storey structure and a L-plan tower-house. rising straight out of the ground heading up seven storeys and bursting forth into a delicately corbelled turrets crowned with simple conical roofs, gargoyles and high corbelling work creates a classic fairytale appearance, it claims a Scottish place in the front rank of European architecture, completed in l626 for a colourful Forbes laird called βWillie the Merchant, It was the seat of Clan Sempill and the Forbes family, While there are many legends surrounding the origins of this clan, the Forbes are descendants have been found to be from Kings of the Picts and a reliable tradition tells that the "Braes Oβ Forbes" were once uninhabitable because of bears living in the area.
Oconachar, founder of the clan, killed the bears and claimed the land as "first occupier".
The present chief still holds part of the Lordship of these Forbes lands.
The first person on record was Duncan Forbes who in 1271β2 received a grant of lands, the family has resided here over the years until 1963, when the property was bought by a consortium and presented to the National Trust for Scotland by William Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill.
You enter Craigievar Castle via the ramparts and a heavily studded outer door, then the iron grille behind it, the route invaders must have faced, beyond that another studded double door onto the first flight of the stone stair leading to the great hall.
The hallβs groined vault preserves in plaster relief a decoration of raised panels. Heraldry foliage with classical portrait medallions, and elaborate pendants.
They were the work of the same master craftsmen from London who, a few years before had erected the similar ceiling at Muchalls Castle, it 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 Fraser's of Muchalls.
Upon this structure, the 17th-century castle was begun by Alexander Burnett of Leys and completed by his son, Sir Thomas Burnett, 1st Baronet, in 1627.
The Burnett's of Leys built the remaining four storey present day castle.
As at Muchalls. The ο¬re place in the hall is surmounted by an immense armorial tablet of the royal arms, the hall still boasts the timber screen. universal in feudal days and the musicians" gallery where pipers or minstrels played.
On the arch of the main stair is the Forbes motto: βDo not vaiken sleeping dogsβ, The second Forbes laird was himself a sort of watchdog.
The Barony Court records of Craigievar, which were abolished in 1747 have been preserved in full, The records today are mainly in a separate series of reference, some of which have been digitised and are available on Virtual Volumes in the search rooms, others may be found among private collections, and in sheriff court
Other features of Craigievar are the Queen's bedroom, with its canopied bed and decorated ceiling, and the Blue Room.
After exploratory work in 2006, the castle was closed between October 2007 and April 2010 to allow extensive interior and exterior renovation to take place. Externally this involved completely removing the concrete coating which had been applied in 1973.
Stone details covered for the first time in 1973 and largely obscured as a result were uncovered, while the rest of the structure was given a coat of authentic lime harling complete with pigments intended to match the finish that first emerged in 1824.
The castle which emerged when the scaffolding came down in 2010 is stunningly beautiful and decidedly pink fairy tail Castle the main visual difference being the newly exposed stone corbelling and decorative detail, the experience at Craigievar is its external aspect.
Craigievar Castle is set is among scenic rolling foothills of the Grampian Mountains, it can be found 6 miles south of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
The Castle has a massive lower storey structure and a L-plan tower-house. rising straight out of the ground heading up seven storeys and bursting forth into a delicately corbelled turrets crowned with simple conical roofs, gargoyles and high corbelling work creates a classic fairy tale appearance, it claims a Scottish place in the front rank of European architecture, completed in l626 for a colourful Forbes laird called βWillie the Merchant, It was the seat of Clan Sempill and the Forbes family, While there are many legends surrounding the origins of this clan, the Forbes are descendants have been found to be from Kings of the Picts and a reliable tradition tells that the "Braes Oβ Forbes" were once uninhabitable because of bears living in the area.
Oconachar, founder of the clan, killed the bears and claimed the land as "first occupier".
The present chief still holds part of the Lordship of these Forbes lands.
The first person on record was Duncan Forbes who in 1271β2 received a grant of lands, the family has resided here over the years until 1963, when the property was bought by a consortium and presented to the National Trust for Scotland by William Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill.
You enter Craigievar Castle via the ramparts and a heavily studded outer door, then the iron grille behind it, the route invaders must have faced, beyond that another studded double door onto the first flight of the stone stair leading to the great hall.
The hallβs groined vault preserves in plaster relief a decoration of raised panels. Heraldry foliage with classical portrait medallions, and elaborate pendants.
They were the work of the same master craftsmen from London who, a few years before had erected the similar ceiling at Muchalls Castle, it 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 Fraser's of Muchalls.
Upon this structure, the 17th-century castle was begun by Alexander Burnett of Leys and completed by his son, Sir Thomas Burnett, 1st Baronet, in 1627.
The Burnett's of Leys built the remaining four storey present day castle.
As at Muchalls. The ο¬re place in the hall is surmounted by an immense armorial tablet of the royal arms, the hall still boasts the timber screen. universal in feudal days and the musicians" gallery where pipers or minstrels played.
On the arch of the main stair is the Forbes motto: βDo not vaiken sleeping dogsβ, The second Forbes laird was himself a sort of watchdog.
The Barony Court records of Craigievar, which were abolished in 1747 have been preserved in full, The records today are mainly in a separate series of reference, some of which have been digitised and are available on Virtual Volumes in the search rooms, others may be found among private collections, and in sheriff court
Other features of Craigievar are the Queen"s bedroom, with its canopied bed and decorated ceiling, and the Blue Room.
After exploratory work in 2006, the castle was closed between October 2007 and April 2010 to allow extensive interior and exterior renovation to take place. Externally this involved completely removing the concrete coating which had been applied in 1973.
Stone details covered for the first time in 1973 and largely obscured as a result were uncovered, while the rest of the structure was given a coat of authentic lime harling complete with pigments intended to match the finish that first emerged in 1824.
Finding Alford tourist attractions & Craigievar Castle to discover more about the castle which emerged when the scaffolding came down in 2010 is stunningly beautiful and decidedly pink fairy tail Castle the main visual difference being the newly exposed stone corbelling and decorative detail, the experience at Craigievar is its external aspect.
