Discover Aberdeenshire's Castle Country

Braemar Castle in the Cairngorms

Set within the Cairngorms National Park with views out to the River Dee, Braemar is an impressive turreted castle which dates back to the 1600s and has an interesting and chequered history.
 

The History of Braemar Castle

Braemar CastleBuilt on land owned by the Earls of Mar, it was the second Earl of Mar that commissioned having Braemar Castle built in 1628 and the building’s purpose was initially that of a hunting lodge.  The castle also served to display the wealth and power of the Earls of Mar.
 

Braemar Castle, One of the Many Residences of the Earl of Mar

In the 1600s, the rich and influential 2nd Earl of Mar, John Erksine mainly resided at Alloa Tower but also had a townhouse in Aberdeen, plus another castle in Royal Deeside; Kildrummy, Stirling Castle, as well as rooms at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh so we can say that this man certainly was not short of options when it came to places to stay!
 

Fortunes Turn Soar for the Earls of Mar in the 18th Century

By the 18th century though, the luck of the Earls of Mar had taken a turn for the worse and at the start of the 18th century, the family were stripped of all their property due to allegations of treason.  

The building too has seen its fair share of  good times and bad times and trauma came when the castle was burnt to the ground in the late 1600s.  The castle was then bought by John Farquharson of Invervey in the 1700s and partly restored by the British army which used the building as a garrison between 1748 and 1831.
 
With Deeside becoming known as Royal Deeside in the 1850s and Balmoral Castle becoming the Royal’s favourite holiday residence, the Royal family were known to visit Braemar Castle in the late 1800s on occasion.    
 
Braemar Castle has stayed in the ownership of the Farquharson family and was first opened to the public in the 1960s.  Nowadays the castle is open to the public (in season) to visit and appreciate this magnificent building and its fascinating history.
 

Ghostly Happenings at Braemar Castle

Braemar Castle AberdeenshireNo castle is complete without its ghost stories and Braemar does not disappoint.  Some report hearing the cries of a baby, which is said to have been killed by an angry soldier in the days when the army inhabited the building.  It is also said that in the times when the property was rented as a holiday home, a guest who had just got married, threw herself from the main turret after thinking that her new husband had deserted her after their wedding night.

 








 

 

Visiting Braemar Castle

Braemar Castle usually closes in the winter months and is usually open from the end of March to October (please see Braemar Castle’s website for full details of their opening hours and times).

 

Braemar Castle Address:

Braemar
Aberdeenshire
AB35 5XR