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The Great Britain Guide

Castles · Scottish Highlands

Crathes Castle

Tudor & StuartNational Trust for ScotlandPaid admission♿ Wheelchair: limited

Crathes Castle — 16th century castle in northeast Scotland.

Crathes Castle, castles in Scottish Highlands

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Milton of Crathes · 0.8 km
  • Paid entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access
Visit on nts.org.uk

About

Crathes Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1553. Heritage designation: category A listed building. Owned by National Trust for Scotland. Managed by National Trust for Scotland. Wikidata describes it as: "16th century castle in northeast Scotland". Coordinates: 57.0615°, -2.4399°.

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Heritage listing

Crathes Castle (pronounced KRATH-iss) is a castle built in the 16th century, near Banchory in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is in the historic county of Kincardineshire. This harled castle was built by the Burnetts of Leys and was owned by the family for almost 400 years. The castle and its grounds are currently owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland and are open to the public.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Crathes Castle (pronounced KRATH-iss) is a castle built in the 16th century, near Banchory in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is in the historic county of Kincardineshire. This harled castle was built by the Burnetts of Leys and was owned by the family for almost 400 years. The castle and its grounds are currently owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland and are open to the public.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

Crathes sits on land given as a gift to the Burnetts of Ley family by King Robert the Bruce in 1323. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Burnett of Leys built a fortress of timbers on an island they made in the middle of a nearby bog. This method of fortification, known as a crannog, was common in the Late Middle Ages. Construction of the current tower house of Crathes Castle was begun in 1553 but delayed several times during its construction due to political problems during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. It was completed in 1596 by Alexander Burnett of Leys, and an additional wing added in the 18th century. Alexander Burnett, who completed the construction of Crathes, began a new…

Architecture

The castle contains a significant collection of portraits, and intriguing original Scottish renaissance painted ceilings survive in several Jacobean rooms: the Chamber of the Muses, the Chamber of Nine Worthies and the Green Lady's Room. Original furniture still in the house and on display includes a carved bed and two caquetoire chairs dating from 1597 and bearing the owners' initials and heraldry.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
57.0615, -2.4399
Postcode
AB31 5QJ
Parliamentary constituency
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Established
1553
Nearest railway station
Milton of Crathes0.8 km
Official site
www.nts.org.uk

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Crathes Castle?
Crathes Castle is in the Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (postcode AB31 5QJ).
When was Crathes Castle built?
Built or established in 1553.
Who runs Crathes Castle?
Crathes Castle is operated by National Trust for Scotland.
Is Crathes Castle a listed building?
Crathes Castle is officially recognised as category A listed building listed.
Is Crathes Castle free to visit?
Crathes Castle is operated by National Trust for Scotland. Entry is free for National Trust members; non-members pay an admission charge.
How do I get to Crathes Castle?
The nearest railway station is Milton of Crathes, about 0.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode AB31 5QJ.