UK Travel Guide

Castles

Braemar Castle

Description: This is a fine example of a Scottish castle and visually, it is everything you would expect a fairytale castle to be. Braemar Castle is an altered 17th-century L-plan tower house. There are battlemented turrets crowning the corners and the base is surrounded by 18th-century star-shaped artillery defences. There is also a pit-prison. Braemar castle was built in 1628 by John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar. It was captured and torched by Jacobites under Farquharson of Inverey in 1689, although it had held out against John Graham of Claverhouse. 'Bobbing John', the 6th Earl of Mar, led the 1715 Jacobite Rising, but after its failure fled to France. The castle passed to the Farquharsons; but in 1748 was leased by the government, and turned into a barracks, the work being supervised by John Adam. The Farquharsons reoccupied the castle in the early 19th century. The castle is said to be haunted by a blonde-haired apparition of a young woman, reputedly the ghost of a newly married bride who committed suicide, wrongly believing herself abandoned by her husband. Another ghost is reportedly that of John Farquharson of Inverey.
Time Line: Coming Soon
Notes: The castle is open to the public daily 10.00am to 6.00pm from Easter to the end October, except it is closed Friday. You can telephone 01339 741219 for details.