Cairnbulg Castle is a z-plan castle situated in Cairnbulg, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was described by W. Douglas Simpson as one of the nine castles of the Knuckle, referring to the rocky headland of north-east Aberdeenshire.[1] It stands by the River Philorth and was originally known as Philorth Castle (or Philorth House).[2] The 17th-century Philorth Castle, an L-plan house consisting of a sizeable crow-stepped block, was demolished after a fire in 1915.[3]
History
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The castle was built in the early 14th century but destroyed in the winter of 1308–1309 in the Wars of Independence. After being owned by the Comyns up until 1375,[4] it was subsequently granted to the Earls of Ross. It was rebuilt in 1380 after the daughter of the 5th Earl married Sir Alexander Fraser of Cowie. In 1545,[4] a second, round, tower, a courtyard and outbuildings were added to the original main square tower.[2]
In 1613, after nearly bankrupting themselves,[5] the Frasers of Philorth sold the castle, which — after passing through several other families of the Fraser clan, including the Frasers of Durris[5] — ended up in 1775 with George Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aberdeen, who removed anything of value. It lay abandoned by 1799.[4]
In 1896, the two towers were restored and its central building rebuilt by Jenkins & Marr for Sir John Duthie, a barrister.[4] In the late Victorian period the castle, by now almost a ruin after a 1915 fire,[3] was purchased and restored by the wealthy Duthie family of Aberdeen. In 1934, it returned to the Fraser family after being bought by Lord Saltoun, a direct descendant of the 8th Laird.[2] Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun, and her husband, Captain Alexander Ramsay of Mar, who was one of Queen Victoria's great-grandchildren, lived there for a while.[when?] Their daughter, Katharine Fraser, Mistrss of Saltoun (now 22nd Lady Saltoun), took possession of the castle in 1997.[6] During the Second World War, the castle was used as the Officers' Mess for nearby RAF Fraserburgh.[citation needed]
Philorth Bridge Halt railway station once stood nearby on the old Fraserburgh and St Combs Light Railway.[7]
Cairnbulg Castle is open to the public only by appointment.[8]
References
edit- ^ Simpson, W.D. (1949). "Cairnbulg Castle, Aberdeenshire" (PDF). Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 83: 32–44.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c "Cairnbulg Castle". Britain Express. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ a b c McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 136. ISBN 185158-231-2.
- ^ a b c d McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 138. ISBN 185158-231-2.
- ^ a b McKean, Charles (1990). Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Mainstream Publications Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 185158-231-2.
- ^ "Cairnbulg Castle". Fraserchief. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ Butt, Raymond (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: Details Every Public and Private Passenger Station, Halt, Platform and Stopping Place, Past and Present. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 185. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7.
- ^ "Discover Cairnbulg Castle". Archived from the original on 20 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
External links
edit57°39′56″N 1°58′25″W / 57.6656°N 1.9736°W
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