Craigston Castle
Craigston Castle Details
Craigston Castle, a flamboyant C17 tower house of the Urquharts still owned by the family and open to the public occasionally.
- Closest To: Turriff, Cuminestown
- Access: Occasional Access
- Grid Reference: NJ762550
Craigston Castle is an unmistakable tower house built at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries for the Urquhart family. Built on a narrow hill between two burns, it is built on a U-plan and primarily harled white, with contrasting red sandstone masonry for decorative effect.
Probably obtained by marriage with the Innes family, Craigfintry, as it was known, was built in the years following the accession of King James VI to the English throne, and was never intended to serve a military purpose. Financial troubles caused the Urquhart family to sell the house and estate in 1657, and John Urquhart (the great-grandson of the man it was built for) bought it back from the Duffs in 1739. The property was updated and remodelled, with courtyards or “yards” built all around it, and Craigston appears to have avoided military action during the Jacobite period. It is privately owned today and available for accommodation and use as a venue.
Official Craigston Castle website
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