SCOTLAND’S PINK CASTLE AND THE WONDERS OF ABERDEENSHIRE

 

I did not have a chance to tour the interior of Craigievar Castle, as I arrived in the off-season. It was regrettable but did not dampen my visit to the castle as, even from the outside, Craigievar is among Scotland’s most unique castles. Newer than many, with a construction starting in the late 16th century and then a spruce up by William Forbes in the 1620s, the castle has stood more or less intact for four hundred years.

Of course, his descendants, who resided in the castle until the mid-20th century, did much to preserve it and the surrounding land. More recently, Craigievar Castle has undergone extensive restoration by National Trust for Scotland which entailed preservation measures for its artifacts and its structure. Most importantly, the volunteers and trustees restored the castle to its distinct pink shade which has made it an icon since the early 19th century when the Forbes family painted over the original off-white with that warm shade of tonal vibrancy. From the hill where Craigievar Castle stands, the view of Aberdeenshire alone makes the trip worth the visit.


                                                                    Craigievar Castle
                                                     
                                      Highland cows spotted on the way to Auchindoun Castle

Older and more typical of the state of Scotland’s grand castles is Auchindoun Castle. It is also tied to two of the most atrocious massacres in the history of Scotland. Today, Auchindoun survives in ruins, but its story begins in the late 15th century when Thomas Cochrane, a faithful of James III, laid the masonry down.

In 1535, the Auchindoun Castle had become the residence of Clan Gordon. Supporters of William Wallace in Scotland’s War of Independence some two hundred years later, the 16th century brought Clan Gordon into a new bloody conflict, this time against Clan Forbes during the Protestant Reformation, Clan Gordon remaining loyal Catholics. The feud intensified with the murder of Seton of Meldrum by the Sixth Lord Forbes. Through his connection with the Earl of Huntly, Meldrum had been a close friend of Clan Gordon. In retaliation, the Early of Huntly accused the Master of Forbes of plotting the assassination of James V of Scotland. Though the conviction of the Master of Forbes was overturned before execution and the family’s good name restored, Clan Gordon began growing in power, accumulating the favor of other Clans opposed to Clan Forbes.

In 1571, Clan Forbes massacred twenty members of Clan Gordon in Druminnor Castle, a move which resulted in two full scale battles the Battle of Tillieangus and the Battle of Craibstone, the latter culminating in the siege of Druminnor, seat of the chief of Clan Forbes. Before Parliament stopped the bloodshed, Sir Adam Gordon committed one final act of vengeance, the burning of Corgarff Castle in November of 1571. Margaret Campbell, wife of Forbes of Towie, along with twenty-seven relatives and servants, died in the blaze.

                                                                 Auchindoun Castle                                                        

Driving further into Moray also brought me further into history. From a tale of bloodshed into a tale of ingenuity and progress. Here I arrived at Craigellachie Bridge, the oldest surviving cast iron bridge in Scotland and an engineering marvel by architect Thomas Telford. The unpredictable currents of the River Spey made navigating a treacherous endeavor in its waters. An overpass was needed, but traditional masonry was out of the question so, with iron imported from Wales, Telford built a bridge unlike any Scotland had seen before with a single archway elevated at one-hundred and fifty feet above the water, safely away from the torrents. The work was completed in 1814 and Telford was immortalized as one of Britain’s most innovative architects.

                                                                 Craigellachie Bridge

Brodie Castle is as old as Craigievar Castle and just as well preserved and here I did join a tour inside its halls. Although in 1645 Brodie Castle also suffered through a fire started by Clan Gordon, Clan Brodie kept it alive, converting it into a Scots Baronial mansion in the mid-19th century. Pictures, artifacts, furniture and the impressive library within the castle halls tells the story of Clan Brodie over the centuries. Their passion for planting daffodils lives on thanks to the botanical efforts of National Trust for Scotland which curates the grounds.

                                                                          Brodie Castle
                                             
                                                               Library at Brodie Castle

If seen at the right time of day, the walk up to Duffus Castle, with the sun setting behind the hill on which the castle has been standing since 1150, casting off purple and red hues through the remaining masonry encompasses the magic of Scotland, where nature, construction and history unite to tell its story. Indeed, the motte surrounding the castle is the likely reason the site was chosen.

That being said, this is not the same Duffus Castle of 1150 which was built by Freskin, a mercenary granted this lot of land by King David I. By the early 14th century Freskin’s original wooden structure had been rebuilt in stone as it stands today. Ironically, the reconstruction commenced when King Edward I granted Sir Reginald Cheyne two-hundred oaks from the forests of Darnaway and Longmorn. The wood, however, was now used only to build a bridge over the motte and the doorways. Defense against attackers guided Cheyne’s construction. He added few windows and a single entrance guarded by a portcullis.

As I left Duffus Castle the sun was almost entirely set. Nightfall would soon be closing around the ancient structure just as it has for nearly a thousand years. The next day and for many future sunrises it will tell its story to many more onlookers.

                                                                      Duffus Castle

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