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Historic Buildings of Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Includes Aberdeen City and Kincardineshire
Image right - Balmoral Castle
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If you have information about any of the Buildings mentioned below please share it here. If you have ancestors linked to any of the places please add them to the project.
The object of this project is to provide information about historic buildings in the county of Aberdeenshire, with links to sub-projects for specific buildings as appropriate. GENi profiles of people associated with those establishments can be linked to this project and/or to individual projects where they have been set up.
Royal Palaces & Residences
- Balmoral Castle ❊ - large estate house in Royal Deeside. Balmoral has been one of the residences for members of the British Royal Family since 1852, when the estate and its original castle were purchased privately by Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria. They remain as the private property of the royal family and are not the property of the Crown.
Castles, Baronial and Historic houses
... in alphabetical order
❊ Indicates an available image in Gallery attached to the project
Including Castles, Abbeys, Manor Houses, Mansions, Stately Homes, Country houses, Estate houses, Courts, Halls, Parks and other listed buildings of historic interest
A
- Aberdeen Castle - no remains, 13th century - destroyed in 1308. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen_Castle
- Abergairn Castle
- Abergeldie Castle ❊ - a four-floor tower house located near Crathie. The castle was built around 1550 by Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar. During the first Jacobite rising in 1689, the castle was garrisoned by Spanish troops under the command of General Hugh Mackay. The castle has been owned by the Gordon family since 1482. From 1848 to 1970, it was leased to the British royal family, being relatively close to Balmoral. Jamie Douglas Home's book 'Stately passions' says that whilst it was originally leased to the Royal family it was bought by them in 1878 for £100,000. Members of the royal family who stayed at Abergeldie included the daughters of Edward VII, Princesses Louise, Victoria and Maud of Wales.
- Aboyne Castle
- Ardendraught
- Arnage Castle
- Asloun Castle
- Auchanachie Castle
- Auchenhove Castle
- Auchernach Castle
- Auchindoir motte
- Auchleven motte
- Auchmedden Castle
- Avochie Castle
B
- Balbithan House
- Balfluig Castle
- Balnacraig
- Balnagask motte
- Balquhain Castle ❊ - ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the stronghold of the Leslies of Balquhain. The castle is located west of Inverurie, and is protected as a scheduled monument. The castle was built in the 14th century and held by Leslie family from 1340. On 5 July 1441 John Leslie of Balquhain made an indenture with four masons, David Hardgat, David Dun, Robert Masoun and Gilbert Masoun that they would complete his building work. The castle was sacked during a feud with the Forbes family in 1526. The castle was rebuilt in 1530. Mary Queen of Scots in 1562 stayed at the castle prior to the Battle of Corrichie. It was burned by the forces of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland in 1746 and was abandoned.
- Balquolly Castle
- Banff Castle ❊ - ruined former royal castle located near Banff, built as a motte and bailey castle in the 12th century and held by the Comyns, Earl of Buchan. The castle was visited by King Edward I of England in 1296 and also in 1298 after defeating William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The castle was garrisoned with English troops until being captured by the Scots in 1310. It came into the possession of the Sharps, before being sold to Lord Ogilvy of Deskford in 1722. The castle then passed into the hands of the Russells. The old castle was demolished and a mansion house designed by architect John Adam was built in 1750. Today Banff Castle serves as a community and arts venue for the town of Banff Birse Castle
- Barra Castle
- Bass Of Inverurie
- Beldorney Castle
- Belhelvie motte
- Benholm’s Tower
- Binghill Castle
- Birse Castle
- Blackford
- Blairbowie Castle
- Boddam Castle
- Bognie Castle (also called Conzie Castle) is a ruined castle near Huntly. It was built in the 17th century and is now ruined. Dating from the second half of the 17th century, Bognie Castle may have been built by the Clan Morrison.
- Boyndlie House
- Brackley Castle
- Braemar Castle ❊ - 17th Century - a possession of the chief of Clan Farquharson and is leased to a local charitable foundation. It is open to the public. From the Late Middle Ages the castle was a stronghold of the Earls of Mar. The present Braemar Castle was constructed in 1628 by John Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar as a hunting lodge and to counter the rising power of the Farquharsons, replacing an older building, which was the successor of nearby Kindrochit Castle, which dates from as the 11th century AD. The siting of Kindrochit Castle was based upon the strategic location of this site relative to historic crossings of the Grampian Mounth. An important garrison after the 1745 Jacobite uprising, Braemar Castle had been attacked and burned by John Farquharson, the Black Colonel of Inverey in 1689 during the first Jacobite uprising, to prevent it being used as a garrison by Government troops. In 1716 the castle was forfeited to the Crown following the Earl of Mar's leadership of the 1715 Jacobite uprising. The castle and lands were purchased by John Farquharson, 9th Laird of Invercauld but the building was left in ruins until 1748 when it was leased to the government at a fee of £14 per year, now to serve as a garrison for Hanoverian troops. Rebuilding started under the command of John Adam, Master Mason to the Board of Ordnance.
- Braemar motte
- Brucklay Castle
- Byth House
C
- Cairnbulg Castle ❊
- Camp Hill
- Candacraig House
- Carvichen Castle
- Caskieben
- Castle Forbes
- Castle Fraser ❊
- Castle Hill
- Castle Maud
- Castle Newe
- Castle of Badenyon
- Castle of Dalforky
- Castle of Easter Clune
- Castle of Hallforest
- Castle of Kinmuck
- Castle of Lesmoir
- Castle of Lonmay
- Castle Of Waterton
- Castlehill Of Inverugie
- Clackriach Castle
- Clola motte
- Cluny Castle ❊
- Cobairdy Castle
- Colquhonnie Castle
- Comyn’s Castle
- Conzie Castle
- Corgarff Castle ❊
- Corse Castle
- Corsindae House
- Coull Castle
- Craig Castle
- Craigievar Castle ❊
- Craigston Castle ❊
- Crathes Castle ❊
- Culsalmond Castle
- Culter House
- Cults motte
- Cunningar
- Cushnie Castle
D
- Delgatie Castle ❊
- Dorlaithers Castle
- Doune of Invernochty
- Drum Castle ❊
- Drumdollo Castle
- Druminnor Castle
- Druminnor motte
- Drumtochty Castle
- Dub Castle
- Dumbreck Castle
- Dundarg Castle ❊
- Dunnideer Castle ❊
- Dunnottar Castle ❊
E
- Eden Castle
- Ellon Castle
- Esslemont Castle ❊
F
- Fasque Castle ❊
- Fedderate Castle
- Fetteresso Castle ❊
- Fiddes Castle
- Findlater Castle ❊
- Castle Forbes ❊
- Foveran Castle
- Castle Fraser
- Freefield Castle
- Frendraught Castle
- Fyvie Castle ❊
G
- Gairnieston Castle
- Gartly Castle
- Gask House
- Gight Castle
- Gilcomston motte
- Glenbuchat Castle ❊
- Glenkindy Castle
- Glenmuick Castle
H
- Hatton Castle ❊
- Harthill Castle
- House of Kelly
- House of Schivas
- Huntly Castle ❊
I
- Idoch Castle
- Inchdrewer Castle ❊
- Insch Motte
- Inverallochy Castle
- Invercauld Castle ❊
- Inverey Castle
- Invermarkie Castle
- Inverugie Castle
K
- Kauriston Castlke ❊
- Keith Hall
- Keith Insch Castle
- Kemnay House
- Kildrummy Castle ❊
- Kinaldie Motte
- Kincardine Castle
- Kindrochit Castle ❊ Originally founded by Malcolm Canmore in 1059 AD as a hunting lodge on the banks of the Clunie. John Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar showed the ruined castle at Kindrochit to John Taylor, the 'Water Poet' when the writer made his Pennyles Pilgrimage to Scotland in 1618. Taylor, who rode with the Earl from Braemar Castle was told that Malcolm Canmore had built the castle. He thought it remarkable because he did not see another house in the next 12 days of their ride.
- Kininmonth House
- Kinnaird Head Castle ❊
- Kinnairdy Castle ❊
- Kinnedar Castle
- Knock Castle ❊
- Knockespock House
- Knockhall Castle ❊
L
- Lauriston Castle
- Leslie Castle ❊
- Lessendrum House
- Lethenty Castle
- Lickleyhead Castle
- Loch Kinord Castle
- Loch Kinord motte
- Logie House
- Lonmay Castle
- Ludquharn Castle
- Lynturk Castle
M
- Mains of Balfour
- Mar’s Castle
- Meet Hill motte
- Midmar Castle
- Migvie Castle
- Milltown of Boyndlie motte
- Moat of Colstaine
- Moathead
- Monymusk Castle
- Moot Hill, Mains of Ardiffery motte
- Mounie Castle
- Mount of Ellon motte
- Muchalls Castle ❊
- Mundurno motte
N
- New Leslie Castle
- Castle Newe
O
- Old Balmoral Castle
- Old Castle of Inverugie
- Old Castle of Knock
- Old Slains Castle
P
- Castle of Park ❊
- Peel of Fichlie
- Peel of Lumphanan
- Peill Castle ❊
- Piotsligo Castle ❊
- Pitcaple Castle
- Pitfichie Castle
- Pitfodels Castle
- Pitmedden Castle
- Pitsligo Castle
- Pittodrie House
- Pittulie Castle
- Place of Tilliefoure
- Putachie Castle
- Pittulie Castle ❊
R
- Rathen Motte
- Castle of Rattray
- Ravenscraig Castle ❊
- Roundabout motte
- Ruthrieston motte
- Ruthven motte
S
- Savoch Castle
- Shethin Castle
- Skellater House
- Skene House
- Slains Castle ❊
- St Katherine’s Hill motte
- Steirn
- Strichen House
T
- Terpersie Castle ❊
- The Bass, Insch
- * Tillycairn Castle ❊ L-plan castle, dating from the 16th century, south east of Cluny. The castle was probably strengthened by Matthew Lumsden in 1542 following the depredations of Clan Strachan of Lynturk in the course of the quarrel between Clan Gordon and Clan Forbes. In 1672, when the last of the Lumsden line died, the castle went to Thomas Burnett of Sauchen. Thereafter it had Forbes connections until it passed to the Gordons in the early 18th century. The castle became ruinous by 1722, but has been restored for David Lumsden, who acquired it from the Cluny estate in 1973, by the architect Ian Begg in 1980-84
- Tillycorthie Castle
- Tillydrone motte
- Tillyhilt Castle
- Tillyorn motte
- Tolquhon Castle ❊
- Tower of Brux
- Tower of Torriesoul
- Towie Barclay Castle
- Towie Castle
- Tullos House
- Tullynessle motte
- Tullynessle Tower
- Turing’s Tower
- Turriff Castle
U
- Udny Castle - tower house in the parish of Udny in the northeast of Scotland. The area is generally flat but the castle is sited on the highest ground and can be seen for a considerable distance. Its exact construction date is unknown, but its foundations probably date from the late 14th or early 15th century. It is a Category A listed building. The Udny family also owned Knockhall Castle and lived there until 1734 when Knockhall was destroyed by fire; they then returned to Udny. Jamie Fleeman, the Laird's fool, was responsible for saving the family papers from being destroyed in the fire. The castle was abandoned sometime around 1775 then repair work was undertaken in 1801. Colonel John Robert Fullerton Udny inherited the estate in 1802. He had been an army officer since 1797 but retired after his marriage to Emily Fitzhugh in 1812. Thereafter he only visited the estate occasionally as his main residence was in London. The couple had one son, John Augustus Udny, but he died a bachelor in 1859. The Colonel's wife died in 1846 after which he had an affair with Ann Allat whom he married on 2 January 1854. However, the couple had a son, John Henry Udny, born out of wedlock on 9 May 1853. A legal case was heard by the House of Lords as to whether John Henry was entitled to inherit the estate as his parents had been unmarried when he was born. The legal arguments describe how the Colonel had wished to do restoration work on the castle but could not afford to do so "owing chiefly to his connection with the turf". The Colonel died in 1861. The House of Lords had decided in favour of John Henry and he inherited the estate as "though illegitimate at his birth, [he] was legitimated by the subsequent marriage of his parents". In 1887, it is recorded as owned by John Hay Udny and had been in the family's ownership for several centuries. A mansion house in the baronial style was added in 1874–75 to the design of architect James Maitland Wardrop (of the Wardrop and Anderson company) but was subsequently demolished during the 1960s.
W
- Wardhouse
- Warthill House
- Westhall Castle ❊
- Whiteford
References and Sources
Aberdeenshire Specific
General
- http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castles/county/#sthash.Xn3ZSCEQ....
- http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
- http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_houses_in_the_United_K...
- http://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/historichouses/
- http://www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_go_in_Britain/historic_house...
- http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/
- Historic Houses Association - represents 1,500 houses in the UK
- Hudson's Historic Houses and Gardens - UK - guidebook of over 2,000 houses open to the public
- The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses - database of over 7,000 houses
- Lost Heritage - A Memorial to the Lost Country Houses of England - list of over 1,700 houses
- National Trust for Historic Preservation - online database of historic houses in the United State
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Houses_Association - http://www.hha.org.uk/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Houses_of_England
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Historic Buildings Projects for other Scottish Counties
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Historic Buildings of Banffshire
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Historic Buildings of Inverness-shire
Historic Buildings of Kincardineshire
Historic Buildings of Kinross-shire
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Moray, Morayshire or Elginshire
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