Things to do in Aberdeenshire

Craigievar Castle is a seven-storey tower castle built in Scottish Baronial style, located six miles south of Alford, Aberdeenshire. The castle has a fairy tale appearance with its solid base and ornate turrets and gargoyles, with the whole castle harled a pinkish colour. Craigievar is noted for its exceptionally crafted plasterwork ceilings. The castle as a secret staircase connecting the high tower to the Great Hall. The setting is beautiful with parkland featuring magnificent specimen trees, and extensive views over the surrounding countryside to the Grampian Mountains. The castle and estate of adjoining farmlands and woodlands are owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The castle is normally open to tourists during the summer months, although was closed from August 2007 for major reharling work. The castle has holiday accommodation available at the Steading cottage and kennels cottage from April to the end of October Craigievar Castle was completed in 1626 by the Aberdonian merchant William Forbes. The Forbes family resided here for 350 years until 1963, when the property was gifted to the National Trust for Scotland. The castle originally had a walled courtyard with four round towers - only one of the round towers remains today. There was also a massive iron yett or gate covering the entrance door.

Udny Castle is about a quarter of a mile northeast of Udny Green and half a mile southwest of Pitmedden in Aberdeenshire. The castle was built by the Udny family in the 15th century and is still the home of family descendents. It is a five-storey harled rectangular tower house with ornamental turrets and walls 8 feet thick. It was heightened in the 17th century when bartizans at each corner and a parapet above water-spouts were added. Additional wings were added in the 19th century turning the castle into a Baronial mansion built in 1874 by architect James Maitland Wardrop. The Victorian extension was demolished in the 1960s. There is a arched entrance on the east side leading to a vaulted basement. A turnpike stair rises to the hall on the first floor, which has window-seats and a Jacobean-style ceiling from the Victorian era. The tower has been restored and remains a family home. In 1634 the Udny family moved to their other property of Knockhall Castle, but after Knockhall burned down 100 years later in 1734, they returned to Udny Castle. Udny had been abandoned while they were away, and on returning they renovated and extended the old keep.

Fasque Castle near Fettercairn in Aberdeenshire is a Scottish Baronial country house of the 1820s that became the family home of William Ewart Gladstone, four times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, whose father Sir John Gladstone purchased the estate in 1829. The interior preserves its Victorian character with unusual completeness, the rooms and their contents essentially unchanged since the Gladstone family occupied them, creating an exceptional time-capsule record of Victorian upper-class domestic life with personal objects associated with one of the most remarkable Victorian statesmen. The nearby town of Fettercairn is home to one of Scotland's oldest distilleries, and the broader landscape of the Howe of the Mearns and the Grampian foothills is the setting for Lewis Grassic Gibbon's northeast Scotland novels.

The Chest of Dee is a dramatic gorge and waterfall feature on the River Dee in the remote upper reaches of Glen Dee in the Cairngorms of Scotland. Located at OS grid reference NO013886, approximately 56.9785°N, 3.6247°W, this natural feature sits in one of the wildest and most inaccessible parts of the Scottish Highlands. The name "Chest of Dee" derives from the narrow rocky gorge through which the River Dee is compressed, creating a powerful surge of water through a confined channel. The feature consists of the river being forced through a tight rocky cleft, with the water tumbling and churning through the constriction before emerging into a slightly wider section downstream. The geology here is predominantly granite and metamorphic rocks characteristic of the Cairngorms, which have been carved and smoothed by millennia of glacial action and water erosion. The River Dee is one of Scotland's most celebrated rivers, rising high in the Cairngorms plateau near the Wells of Dee at an elevation of over 1,200 meters. From its source, the river flows through the remote and uninhabited Glen Dee, passing the Chest of Dee before continuing its journey eastward through Deeside to eventually reach the North Sea at Aberdeen. The upper catchment of the Dee encompasses some of the wildest mountain terrain in Britain, with the river draining extensive areas of high plateau, corries, and mountain slopes. The flow at the Chest of Dee can vary dramatically depending on rainfall and snowmelt, with the gorge presenting a particularly impressive spectacle during spate conditions when the volume of water surging through the narrow channel creates tremendous turbulence and spray. Glen Dee itself is a long, glacially-carved valley that forms one of the major through-routes in the Cairngorms, though it remains remote and challenging to access. The surrounding landscape is characterized by high mountains, including several Munros and Cairngorms peaks, with the glen floor lying at a relatively high elevation. The area experiences a harsh subarctic climate with long, severe winters and the river system here is one of the coldest in Britain. The vegetation in the glen is sparse at higher elevations, with hardy grasses, mosses, and dwarf shrubs predominating, though sheltered lower sections support scattered remnants of the ancient Caledonian pine forest. The Chest of Dee sits within an area of outstanding ecological significance, being part of the Cairngorms National Park and various protected designations. Wildlife in Glen Dee includes red deer, mountain hare, ptarmigan at higher elevations, and occasionally golden eagles and other raptors. The River Dee system is renowned for its Atlantic salmon and brown trout populations, though the upper reaches near the Chest are less significant for spawning than lower sections. The remoteness of this location means that wildlife is relatively undisturbed by human activity, and the area represents one of the most pristine montane environments in the United Kingdom. Access to the Chest of Dee requires a substantial commitment, as it lies approximately 10-11 kilometers from the nearest road access point at Linn of Dee, itself reached via a minor road from Braemar. The most common approach follows the rough track and path up Glen Dee from Linn of Dee, heading westward along the south bank of the River Dee. This is not a casual walk but rather a serious mountain expedition requiring proper equipment, navigation skills, and awareness of weather conditions. There are no facilities whatsoever in Glen Dee itself—no visitor centers, cafes, or toilets—and the nearest services are in Braemar, approximately 15 kilometers to the east by road. The path to the Chest of Dee is part of longer through-routes used by hillwalkers and mountaineers, including approaches to major peaks like Cairn Toul and Braeriach. The area around the Chest of Dee has historical significance as part of traditional highland stalking estates and was traversed by generations of gamekeepers, shepherds, and later mountaineers exploring the Cairngorms. Queen Victoria is known to have visited the general Deeside area during her residency at Balmoral, though whether she specifically reached the Chest of Dee is uncertain given the remoteness of the location. The glen and its river system have long featured in Scottish literature and poetry celebrating the wild beauty of the Highlands, and the Dee as a whole holds a special place in Scottish cultural identity as one of the nation's great rivers. For those planning to visit, the journey should be treated as a full day's expedition in remote mountain terrain. Weather conditions in Glen Dee can be severe and can change rapidly, with the potential for snow even in summer months at higher elevations nearby. River crossings can become dangerous during high water, and there are no bridges in the upper glen. The Chest of Dee is sometimes visited as part of multi-day backpacking trips through the Cairngorms, with wild camping being the only accommodation option in the area, subject to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code guidelines. The track quality deteriorates as one progresses up Glen Dee, eventually becoming little more than a rough path, and the final approaches may require careful navigation, particularly in poor visibility.

Castle of Park near Cornhill in Aberdeenshire is a privately owned sixteenth-century tower house built in 1563 by George Gordon, used today for conferences, holidays and events. The castle's handsome exterior with turrets, crow-stepped gables and traditional harled walls is typical of the vernacular baronial architecture of the northeast Scottish countryside. Built by a member of the great Gordon family who dominated northeast Scotland throughout the medieval and early modern periods, the castle is one of a remarkable concentration of tower houses in Aberdeenshire. The county's Castle Trail encompasses over seventy historic sites, and from the great state-cared castles of Crathes and Craigievar to numerous privately owned tower houses like Castle of Park, Aberdeenshire offers the finest concentration of historic castle architecture in Scotland.

Braemar Castle, near Braemar in Aberdeenshire has distinctive turrets and a star-shaped curtain wall. The main entrance to the castle has an original iron yett ( a heavy iron latticed gate). Areas of the main building including its dungeons are open to tourists all year round, and the castle chapel and dining room may be rented for weddings and small functions. The first tower of Braemar Castle was built in 1628 by John Erskine, the 7th Earl of Mar. During the Jacobite uprising, Braemar was attacked and burned in 1689. The castle was left in ruins for nearly 60 years until after the Jacobite rebellion in 1745. With the rebellion in tatters it was leased to the government in 1748 by Clan Farquharson to serve as a garrison for the English government troops. In some rooms, graffiti left by the English soldiers can still be seen. In 1797 the castle was returned to the Farquharson clan who commenced restoration. Queen Victoria visited while she attended the Braemar Gathering.

Kildrummy Castle is located near Kildrummy, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The castle was the seat of the Earls of Mar and was built in the 12th century and is one of the most extensive castle from this period to survive in eastern Scotland. Kildrummy Castle is shield-shaped in plan with a number of towers. The flat side of the castle overlooks a steep ravine. On the opposite side of the castle the walls come to a point, which was once defended by a massive twin-towered gatehouse. The castle also had a seven storey tall keep, called the Snow Tower which contained the main living quarters. There was also a Great Hall at the rear of the castle, and a chapel on the east side. Extensive earthworks protected the castle, including a dry moat and the ravine. Most of the castle foundations are now visible, along with most of its lower-storey walls. Archaeological excavations in 1925 uncovered decorative stone flooring and evidence of battles. Today, the castle property is owned by Historic Scotland. A hotel (the Kildrummy Castle Hotel) has been built on the old estate, overlooking the ruins. Kildrummy Castle underwent siege numerous times in its history, first in defence of the family of Robert the Bruce in 1306, and again in 1335 by David of Strathbogie. In 1435 it was taken over by James I, becoming a royal castle until being granted to Lord Elphinstone in 1507. The castle passed from the Clan Elphinstone to the Clan Erskine before being abandoned in 1716 after the failed Jacobite rebellion.

Prince Albert's Pyramid stands as a distinctive memorial on the southern edge of Balmoral Estate in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire. This granite cairn was erected in 1862 by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved consort Prince Albert, who had died the previous year. The monument occupies a prominent position above the River Dee, carefully chosen for its significance to the royal couple who had spent many happy hours in this landscape. The pyramid represents one of several memorials Victoria commissioned across the Balmoral Estate following Albert's death, each marking a place of particular meaning to their life together in the Scottish Highlands. The structure itself is a substantial pyramidal cairn built from local grey granite, rising to a considerable height and visible from various vantage points across the estate and surrounding hills. A commemorative plaque on the pyramid bears an inscription dedicated to Albert's memory. The monument was positioned at a spot where Prince Albert had particularly enjoyed the views across the Dee Valley and toward the Cairngorms massif beyond. Its architectural simplicity follows the tradition of Scottish cairn-building while incorporating the formal geometry of a classical pyramid, creating a fusion of Highland vernacular and Victorian memorial architecture that was characteristic of royal patronage during this period. The location provides sweeping panoramic views across the forested policies of Balmoral and the agricultural lands of the Dee Valley, with the river meandering through its floodplain below. The surrounding landscape is quintessentially Highland, with mixed coniferous and deciduous woodland clothing the hillsides, interspersed with areas of heather moorland. In autumn, the colours are particularly striking, with the birch and larch turning golden against the dark green of the pines and the purple-brown of the heather. The sound environment is typically tranquil, with birdsong, the distant rush of the Dee, and wind moving through the trees creating a peaceful atmosphere that one can easily imagine appealed to the Victorian royals seeking respite from court life. Prince Albert's profound influence on the development of Balmoral Estate and its surroundings cannot be overstated. He was instrumental in designing the new Balmoral Castle, completed in 1856, and took great personal interest in the management of the estate, the planting of woodlands, and the creation of walks and drives throughout the property. His death at the age of forty-two from typhoid fever devastated Victoria, who spent the remaining four decades of her life in mourning. The pyramid, along with other memorials she erected, reflects the intensity of her grief and the importance she placed on commemorating his presence in places they had cherished together. The monument sits within the private Balmoral Estate, which remains a working estate and the Scottish holiday home of the British Royal Family. Access to the pyramid and much of the estate is therefore restricted, though parts of the estate grounds and gardens are opened to the public during specific periods when the Royal Family is not in residence, typically from April to July. During these opening periods, visitors can explore the gardens, the ballroom exhibition, and certain designated walks on the estate. The pyramid may be visible from some of the permitted walking routes, though close access may not always be possible depending on the specific areas open at any given time. The broader area around Balmoral is one of outstanding natural beauty and historical significance. The village of Crathie, just to the east, is home to Crathie Kirk where the Royal Family worships when in residence. The market town of Ballater, approximately nine miles to the east, serves as the nearest substantial settlement and offers accommodation, restaurants, and shops. The region is renowned for its association with the Royal Family, its excellent walking and outdoor recreation opportunities, and its role in the development of Highland tourism during the Victorian era. The Cairngorms National Park, Britain's largest national park, extends across much of the surrounding landscape. Visitors planning to see Prince Albert's Pyramid should check the Balmoral Estate's official opening times and book tickets in advance, as public access is limited and capacity is controlled. The estate is accessed from the A93 road between Ballater and Braemar. Those arriving by public transport can take buses that run along Royal Deeside, though onward walking would be required. The climate can be changeable, with the possibility of rain even in summer, so appropriate clothing and footwear are essential. The memorial is best appreciated within the context of the wider estate and the Victorian royal engagement with the Scottish Highlands, representing a deeply personal expression of grief set within a landscape that held profound meaning for both Victoria and Albert.

Corgarff Castle is situated 20 miles north of Braemar, near the Cockbridge to Tomintoul Road - this is one of the first roads in Scotland to be blocked by snow in winter. Corgarff Castle has been of strategic importance, guarding the quickest route from Deeside to Speyside and the Moray Firth. Corgarff Castle was built by the Forbes family around 1550 as a tower house with a walled enclosure. The Forbes family were supporters of side who wanted James VI as king of Scotland. They became involved in a feud with the Gordon family from Auchindoun who were supporters of Mary Queen of Scots. In 1571 the Gordons tried to capture Corgarff and ended up burning it down killing everyone inside the castle except for the lady of the house, Margaret Forbes. Corgarff was used as a mustering point by the Royalist forces in Scotland during the Civil War. In 1689 Corgarff was burned down again by the Jacobites to prevent it being used as a base by supporters of William of Orange. In 1715, John Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar launched the Jacobite rising from Kildrummy Castle, further down Strathdon. He then came to Corgarff to assemble and equip his army. After the eventual defeat of the 1715 Jacobite rising, Government forces burned down Corgarff yet again. The government gave the castle back to the Forbes family. During the final Jacobite uprising in 1745, the Jacobite forces used Corgarff Castle as an arms store. In early 1746 the Jacobites were forced to flee when hundreds of Government foot soldiers arrived unexpectedly. The fleeing Jacobites left large quantities of gunpowder and muskets behind. A few weeks later the Jacobite forces were defeated at the Battle of Culloden, although the loss of the Corgarff weapons was not a big factor in the defeat. After the 1745 rebellion was quashed, the government stationed troops across the country to prevent further uprisings. In 1748 Corgarff Castle was converted into barracks, and during this period the current star shaped encircling wall was built. From 1802 the Castle was used as a farmhouse. The castle went into decline and its last residents left during the First World War. The State took over the running of Corgarff Castle in 1961 and it has been recently restored by Historic Scotland.

Dunnideer Castle is one of Scotland's most striking and atmospheric hilltop ruins, perched dramatically on the summit of Dunnideer Hill in Aberdeenshire, rising to around 266 metres above sea level. The surviving fragment — a single, tall section of a stone tower wall with a distinctive square window opening — has become something of an iconic landmark in the Garioch region of central Aberdeenshire. It is visible for miles around, silhouetted against the sky in a way that has captivated travellers and historians for centuries. What makes the site doubly remarkable is that the medieval tower was itself built within the remains of a much older vitrified Iron Age hillfort, meaning the location has been a place of strategic and symbolic importance for well over two thousand years. Few places in Scotland so visibly layer prehistoric, early medieval and medieval history in a single glance. The Iron Age hillfort at Dunnideer is among the most notable examples of a vitrified fort in Scotland. Vitrification refers to a process by which the stone ramparts of the fort were subjected to intense heat, causing the rock to fuse and partially melt into a glassy, slag-like material. Archaeologists continue to debate whether this was done deliberately to strengthen the defences or was the result of an attack that set fire to the timber-laced stone walls. Either way, the vitrified ramparts at Dunnideer are still clearly visible encircling the hilltop, and they speak to a long-vanished community that considered this elevated position worth defending fiercely. The hillfort is thought to date from the first millennium BC, placing human activity on this summit well before the Roman period. The medieval castle itself is believed to date from the thirteenth century and is associated with the powerful Balliol family, who held significant lands in Aberdeenshire before John Balliol became King of Scots in 1292. Some sources also connect the site to the ancient earldom of the Garioch. The tower that survives is a fragment of what would have been a more substantial fortified residence, though the castle appears to have fallen into disuse and ruin relatively early, possibly by the late medieval period. It never became the site of famous sieges or major recorded battles, which perhaps explains why it remains somewhat under the radar compared to grander Scottish castles, yet this very obscurity lends it a quiet, undisturbed dignity that many better-known ruins have lost. Standing at the summit beside the surviving wall, the sense of exposure and elevation is immediate and exhilarating. The lone gable-end of the tower, with its empty window staring out like an eye across the Aberdeenshire farmland, has a skeletal, haunting quality. The stonework is rough and weathered, patched with lichen in grey, orange and green, and the vitrified rampart material nearby has a peculiar dark, lumpy texture quite unlike ordinary drystone walling. On a clear day the views extend across the wide agricultural plain of the Garioch to the hills of the Grampians in the south and west, with the valley of the River Urie visible below. The wind at the summit is rarely still, and the surrounding fields and woodlands make for a patchwork of green and brown that shifts beautifully with the seasons. The village of Insch lies immediately to the south and east, roughly a kilometre from the base of the hill, and it is from here that most visitors begin their approach. Insch is a small but pleasant Aberdeenshire village with a railway station on the Aberdeen to Inverness line, which makes the site unusually accessible for those travelling without a car. The walk from Insch up to the summit is relatively short, typically taking around thirty to forty-five minutes at a gentle pace, following footpaths through fields and then ascending the open hillside. The hill is on access land under Scotland's Land Reform Act, meaning walkers have a legal right to be there, though sensible footwear is advisable as the upper slopes can be boggy and uneven. The best time to visit is arguably late spring or early autumn, when the light in Aberdeenshire has a particular golden quality and the landscape shows its full range of colour. Summer visits are perfectly pleasant, though midges can be a consideration on still, damp days. Winter visits, while requiring more preparation, can be spectacular, with the ruined wall standing dark against a pale or stormy sky and the surrounding farmland frosted or snow-dusted. The site has no formal facilities, no car park directly at the foot of the hill, and no entry fee — it is simply open hillside and ancient stone, which is very much part of its appeal. Parking can be found in Insch itself, and the footpath network from the village is reasonably well signposted. One of the more unusual and little-discussed aspects of Dunnideer is just how much compressed time it represents in a very small physical space. A visitor standing within the medieval tower fragment is simultaneously standing inside a vitrified Iron Age fort, looking out over a landscape that has been farmed continuously since at least the Bronze Age. The Garioch is one of the most fertile parts of Aberdeenshire, and its fields have fed communities here for millennia. Dunnideer Hill, rising so clearly above the plain, would have served as a navigation marker, a territorial signal and a place of refuge across countless generations. That the modern visitor can walk up on a weekend afternoon, with almost no infrastructure or interpretation in the way, and stand in that exact spot feeling the wind come off the Grampians, is a quietly remarkable thing.

Old Slains Castle stands as a dramatic cliff-top ruin on the windswept Aberdeenshire coast near the village of Cruden Bay, approximately 20 miles north of Aberdeen. This atmospheric fortress, perched precariously on rocky promontories jutting into the North Sea, represents one of Scotland's most spectacularly situated castle ruins. Unlike its successor, New Slains Castle located a few miles to the south, Old Slains was deliberately dismantled in the late 16th century following its owner's rebellion against the crown. The fragmentary remains that survive today include portions of the curtain walls and foundations that cling to the cliff edges, offering visitors a haunting glimpse into medieval Scottish fortification and a landscape that seems to exist at the very edge of the world. The castle's history is inextricably linked with the powerful Hay family, Earls of Erroll, who were hereditary Lord High Constables of Scotland. The original structure likely dates to the 14th or 15th century, though the exact construction date remains uncertain. The castle's most significant historical moment came in 1594 when the 9th Earl of Erroll, Francis Hay, became embroiled in a Catholic conspiracy against King James VI. As punishment for his role in this rebellion and his defeat at the Battle of Glenlivet, the king ordered the complete destruction of Old Slains Castle. The Earl was eventually pardoned and later built the New Slains Castle at Cruden Bay, which became the family's principal seat and itself gained fame as a possible inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. The physical remains of Old Slains are stark and evocative, with ruined walls rising from the rocky coastal headland in jagged silhouettes against the sky. The masonry, built from local stone, has weathered to various shades of grey and brown, blending organically with the surrounding cliffs. What walls remain are fragmentary, with some sections standing several stories high while others have been reduced to foundations barely visible above the grass and heather. The site's exposure to the elements means that visitors experience the full force of North Sea weather—wind is almost constant here, carrying the salt spray and the cries of seabirds that nest on the cliffs below. On stormy days, the thunder of waves crashing against the rocks hundreds of feet below creates a primordial soundtrack that emphasizes the castle's precarious position. The surrounding landscape is characteristically wild Aberdeenshire coastline, with dramatic cliffs, rocky outcrops, and sweeping views across the North Sea. The castle sits on the Bullers of Buchan headland, sharing this spectacular stretch of coast with the Bullers of Buchan itself—a collapsed sea cave forming a dramatic cauldron-like formation where the sea surges through natural rock archways. Seabirds including fulmars, kittiwakes, and razorbills nest on the cliff faces, and the area is rich in coastal wildflowers during spring and summer months. To the south lies the pleasant seaside village of Cruden Bay with its sandy beach and famous golf course, while the fishing town of Peterhead lies several miles to the north. The immediate area around the ruins is open grassland grazed by sheep, with no visitor facilities at the site itself. Access to Old Slains Castle requires careful navigation and a willingness to explore an unmanaged historic site. The ruins are reached via a coastal walk from either Cruden Bay or the Bullers of Buchan car park, with the latter providing closer access. From the small parking area near the Bullers of Buchan, visitors follow a rough coastal path northward for approximately half a mile across grassy headland. The path is uneven and can be muddy in wet weather, so sturdy footwear is essential. There are no entrance fees, visitor centers, or formal opening hours—the site is freely accessible year-round, though visitors must take full responsibility for their own safety. Extreme caution is necessary when exploring the ruins themselves, as the proximity to sheer cliff edges, the presence of loose masonry, and the absence of barriers make this a potentially hazardous site, particularly in high winds or poor visibility. The best time to visit Old Slains is during late spring through early autumn when daylight hours are longer and weather conditions are generally more favorable, though the Scottish coast can be unpredictable in any season. Early morning or evening visits can be particularly atmospheric, with dramatic lighting effects on the ruins and the surrounding seascape. Winter visits are possible but require extra caution due to shorter days, potentially severe weather, and increased risk from slippery conditions. The site is completely exposed to the elements with no shelter, so visitors should come prepared with appropriate clothing regardless of season. Those interested in wildlife should visit during breeding season (spring and early summer) when seabird activity on the cliffs is at its peak. One fascinating aspect of Old Slains is how completely it fulfills its sentence of destruction—King James VI's order to dismantle the castle was thoroughly executed, leaving only the most substantial portions of masonry that were too difficult or dangerous to remove from the cliff edge. Local tradition holds that stones from Old Slains were used in buildings throughout the surrounding area, meaning fragments of this rebellious castle may be incorporated into farmhouses and walls for miles around. The castle's relationship with the sea is intimate and destructive—coastal erosion continues to claim portions of the ruins, and it's likely that significant parts of the original structure have already fallen into the North Sea over the centuries. This ongoing process of dissolution gives the site a temporal quality, a sense that each visit might be the last opportunity to see particular features before they succumb to the elements. The castle's position offers remarkable views that change dramatically with weather and season. On clear days, visitors can see far along the Aberdeenshire coast in both directions, while stormy conditions create spectacular displays of waves breaking against the cliffs and spray rising high into the air. The contrast between this abandoned, windswept ruin and the relatively prosperous Victorian grandeur of New Slains Castle a few miles away could hardly be more pronounced, offering insight into how dramatically the fortunes of even the most powerful families could change. The site receives relatively few visitors compared to more accessible or better-known Scottish castles, meaning those who make the journey often have the ruins largely to themselves, adding to the sense of discovery and connection with the medieval past.

Abergeldie Castle is six miles west of Ballater on the banks of the River Dee. From Aberdeen take the A93 Abergeldie Castle is a tower house style of castle located in Royal Deeside near the Royal Family country home at Balmoral near Ballater. The castle is three storeys tall with an attic in height and vaulted basement. The Great Hall on the first floor is vaulted. The interior has been restored and is in original condition. The Castle was built in the 16th century by Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar who later became the Earl of Huntly. The Castle remained in the Gordon family for years, except for a short time during the first Jacobite rising when it was used it as a troop garrison. Price Albert obtained a long term lease of the castle in 1848, and future generations of Royals, including King Edward VII and George V used the Castle as a summer home. Legends Abergeldie Castle is supposed to be haunted by "French Kate" the ghost of a French women called Kittie Rankie. Poor Kate was wrongly accused on being a witch and burnt at the stake. Her ghost has been seen in the Castle cellars where she was imprisoned before her execution.

Harthill Castle is a historic tower house situated in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, near the village of Oyne in the Garioch district. It stands as one of the more remarkable survivals of Scottish baronial architecture in the region, a Z-plan tower house that dates primarily from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The castle is notable not only for its architectural integrity but also for its careful private restoration, which has seen it transformed from a roofless ruin into a habitable dwelling — a fate that many of Scotland's smaller castle ruins never enjoy. It sits within the broader constellation of castles that makes Aberdeenshire one of the most castle-rich counties in all of Europe, a region sometimes called the Castle Trail country, and Harthill contributes meaningfully to that extraordinary heritage. The castle's history is closely bound to the Leith family, who were the principal builders and long-term occupants of the structure. Construction is generally attributed to the early seventeenth century, with the Z-plan layout — featuring a main rectangular block with two corner towers placed diagonally — being a characteristically Scottish response to both defensive need and the desire for additional domestic accommodation. The Leiths were a prominent Aberdeenshire family, and the castle reflects their ambitions and their means during a period when such tower houses served simultaneously as strongholds, status symbols, and comfortable family homes. Like many castles of its type and period, Harthill passed through various hands over the centuries, suffered periods of neglect and partial ruin, before eventually finding custodians committed to its preservation. In physical terms, Harthill Castle presents the austere, robust appearance typical of Scottish tower houses of its era. The harled stonework, the crow-stepped gables, the conical-roofed corner turrets, and the small deeply set windows all speak to a vernacular tradition that balanced the realities of the northern Scottish climate with the conventions of late medieval and early modern fortified domestic architecture. The restoration work has been sympathetic to the character of the original fabric, and the building retains a convincingly historic atmosphere rather than the sanitised feel of a heavily modernised conversion. Approaching the castle, one is struck by how naturally it sits within its immediate setting, rising with quiet authority from the surrounding farmland. The landscape around Harthill Castle is quintessential Aberdeenshire — gently rolling agricultural land, scattered woodlands, and the wide skies of the Garioch plain, with the Bennachie hill range visible to the southwest. Bennachie is one of the most beloved landmarks in this part of Scotland, its distinctive summit ridge including the prominent tor known as Mither Tap, and it gives the whole surrounding area a grounding sense of place. The countryside here is fertile and productive, with fields of barley and pasture interspersed with belts of mixed woodland, and the overall impression is of a quietly prosperous and deeply historic agricultural landscape that has been continuously settled and worked for millennia. For those wishing to visit the general area, the Aberdeenshire Castle Trail provides an excellent framework, as Harthill sits within easy reach of other notable sites including Castle Fraser, Craigievar Castle, and the Maiden Stone, an early Christian Pictish symbol stone near Chapel of Garioch. The village of Oyne is close by, and Inverurie, the main market town of the Garioch, is only a short drive to the south and offers accommodation, services, and good transport links. The castle itself is a privately owned residence, and visitors should bear in mind that access to the castle building and its immediate grounds is not generally open to the public in the manner of a heritage attraction. Respectful appreciation from public roads and rights of way is the appropriate approach unless specific access arrangements have been made. One of the more quietly fascinating aspects of Harthill's story is precisely the trajectory it represents — from functional laird's residence, through centuries of use and eventual dereliction, to careful modern restoration as a private home. This arc is shared by a number of Aberdeenshire's smaller castles, and it speaks to a renewed appreciation for Scotland's built heritage that gathered momentum in the latter decades of the twentieth century and has continued since. The survival of Harthill in its present condition, with its architectural character largely intact, is a genuine achievement and a reminder that Scotland's extraordinary castle heritage owes much to the dedication of private individuals as well as public institutions.

Muchalls Castle is located in the Kincardine and Mearns area of Aberdeenshire, where it is set overlooking the North Sea. The original structure is a well preserved 14th century tower house, built by the Frasers of Muchalls. In the 17th century Alexander Burnett of Leys started expanding the castle, and the work was completed in 1627 by his son, Sir Thomas Burnett. A second floor was built over the intact Middle Ages ground level structure. The castle features corbelled turrets, massive ranges of chimneys, curtain-walled entrance courtyard with two sets of triple gunloops on either side of the entrance arch, and underground crypt, 17th century stone walled terraced gardens. There are original arrow slits through exterior walls that are over a meter thick. Crow-stepped gables with large chimneys are prominent at building endpoints. The castle is an A listed historical building, and other listed structures on the castle grounds, include a stone stables and a 17th century dovecote. The second level has a number of drawing rooms with ornate plasterwork ceilings dating back to 1624. These are amongst the finest examples of plasterwork ceilings in Scotland, showing family heraldry and bible figures. The third level consists of a number of bedrooms. The original plasterwork overmantle of the Great Hall fireplace features the arms of King James VI flanked by Egyptian style figures. Several generations of the Burnett of Leys family lived in Muchalls Castle. Ownership of Muchalls Castle passed from the Burnett of Leys family about 1882. Later residents included James Robertson, Baron Robertson, President of the Scottish Court of Session, and Geraldine Simpson, heiress to the Pringle knitting fortune. In 1638 Muchalls Castle was the setting for an important meeting in the Covenanters opposition to the Episcopal liturgical system being imposed by the King. At Muchalls Castle, the Covenanters drafted a response to the Bishops of Aberdeen outlining why the bishops should sign the covenant. This was one of a number of events that led to King Charles I unexpectedly making concessions to the Covenanters .

Kinnairdy Castle is situated in the Deveron Valley at Bridge of Marnoch, between Turriff and Keith, Aberdeenshire. It is tower house dating back to the 14th century, originally built by the Innes family. The castle is owned again by the Innes family. The castle consists of a stone tower which dates to around the 14th century . Kinnairdy is available as self catering accommodation for up to eight people. Kinnairdy Castle is owned by Colin Innes, Baron of Aberchirder, and is looked after by a resident caretaker. The present castle replaced a wooden motte and bailey structure in the 14th century. During the latter part of the 14 century Kinnairdy came into the ownership of the Innes family. In 1627 Sir Robert Innes, the 20th chief, sold Kinnairdy to Sir James Crichton of Frendraught. In the 17th century it was taken over by the Gregory family, although the change of hands involved a legal dispute and murder of one of the Gregory sons. Kinnairdy Castle was the 17th century home of the Gregory family, an academic family that produced 12 professors including David Gregory, the inventor of the barometer. In 1704 the Gregory family sold the Castle to Thomas Donaldson, a merchant in Elgin, who transformed Kinnairdy from a mediaeval fortress to a 17th century style country house. Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, (Lord Lyon King of Arms 1945 - 69) bought it in 1923.