Braemar Castle
Encyclopedia
Braemar Castle is situated near the village of Braemar
in Aberdeenshire
, Scotland
. It is a possession of the chief of Clan Farquharson
and is leased to a local charitable foundation. It is open to the public.
the castle was a stronghold of the Earls of Mar . The first tower of Braemar Castle was constructed in 1628 by John Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar
as a hunting lodge and to counter the rising power of the Farquharsons, replacing the older Kindrochit Castle
, which was sited nearby as early as the 11th century AD. The siting of the original Kindrochit Castle was based upon the strategic location of this site relative to historic crossings of the Grampian Mounth
.
An important garrison after the 1745 Jacobite uprising
, Braemar Castle had been attacked and burned by John Farquharson, the Black Colonel of Inverey
in 1689. In 1715 the castle was forfeited to the Crown following the Earl of Mar's leadership of the rebellion. The castle and lands were purchased by John Farquharson, 9th Laird of Invercauld
but the building was left in ruins
until 1748 when it was leased to the government at a fee of £14 per year, now to serve as a garrison
for Hanoverian
troops. Rebuilding started under the command of John Adam
, Master Mason to the Board of Ordnance
.
In 1831 the military garrison was withdrawn and the castle returned to the Farquharson clan. Restoration to provide a family home began under the 12th Laird of Invercauld who entertained Queen Victoria
there when she attended the Braemar Gatherings in the grounds of the Castle. In 1800 Braemar Castle was documented to have its moat
intact.
Since 2006 the castle has been leased to the local community. It is run on behalf of the community by local charity, Braemar Community Ltd and staffed by local volunteers, and an ambitious restoration programme has been started. It reopened to the public in 2008.
with a star-shaped curtain wall
of six sharp-angled salients, and with three storey angle turret
s. The central tower enfolds a round stair tower and is built of granite
covered with harl
. The main entrance retains an original iron yett
, and many of the windows are protected by heavy iron grilles.
On the ground floor are stone-vaulted rooms which contained the guardroom, ammunition store and original kitchen. These are built out into the salients of the outer wall, and in Victorian times a second kitchen was added adjoining the staff rooms. In the floor of a passage, an iron grill provided access to the Laird's Pit, a dark hole used as a dungeon.
On each of the upper floors a large room and a small room occupied the two arms of the tower. On the first floor are the Dining Room and Morning Room, whilst on the floor above is the Laird's Day Room, entered by a curved door. Opposite is the Rose Room, and between the two is a small bathroom installed in 1901. In the main wing at this level is the Drawing Room, containing graffiti incised on the window-shutters by government troops. The words "John Chestnut, Sergeant, 1797" can be clearly seen. On the third floor is the Four Poster Bedroom, whilst on the fourth floor lie the Ladies Guest Bedroom, Gentlemans Guest Bedroom and the Principal Bedroom. These upper floors were used by the Farquharson family in the latter years of their visits.
sword
, and a piece of tartan plaid once worn by Bonnie Prince Charlie
.
A piper has been seen in the back corridor, and a clash of steel can sometimes be heard on the staircase. The cries of a young baby, reputedly murdered in the castle, have also been reported.
John Farquharson, the Black Colonel of Inverey has been seen in certain rooms. His outline on the four poster bed has been seen on numerous occasions, and the scent of his tobacco is said to linger in many of the rooms.
Many of the ghosts are said to be depicted in Gustave Doré
's 1873 painting of Braemar Castle, which previously hung in the Drawing Room.
Braemar
Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an altitude of ....
in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is a possession of the chief of Clan Farquharson
Clan Farquharson
Clan Farquharson of Invercauld is a Highland Scottish clan. The clan hails from Aberdeenshire and is a member of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:Farquhar - from the Gaelic 'fear' and 'char' meaning 'dear one'...
and is leased to a local charitable foundation. It is open to the public.
History
From the Late Middle AgesLate Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
the castle was a stronghold of the Earls of Mar . The first tower of Braemar Castle was constructed in 1628 by John Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar was a Scottish politician, the only son of John Erskine, 1st Earl of Mar. Together with King James VI of Scotland he was educated by George Buchanan...
as a hunting lodge and to counter the rising power of the Farquharsons, replacing the older Kindrochit Castle
Kindrochit Castle
Kindrochit Castle is an early fortification in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Originally founded by Malcolm Canmore in 1059 AD as a hunting lodge on the banks of the Clunie, various authors have puzzled as to the reasons for siting the castle in this wild and remote location. C...
, which was sited nearby as early as the 11th century AD. The siting of the original Kindrochit Castle was based upon the strategic location of this site relative to historic crossings of the Grampian Mounth
Mounth
The Mounth is the range of hills on the southern edge of Strathdee in northeast Scotland. It was usually referred to with the article, i.e. "the Mounth". The name is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic monadh which in turn is akin to the Welsh mynydd, and may be of Pictish origin...
.
An important garrison after the 1745 Jacobite uprising
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
, Braemar Castle had been attacked and burned by John Farquharson, the Black Colonel of Inverey
Inverey
Inverey is a hamlet on Mar Lodge Estate, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that straddles the Ey Burn close to its confluence with the River Dee.Inverey comprises two 'communities' separated by the Ey Burn - Muckle Inverey on the east bank and Little Inverey on the west.-John Farquharson, 3rd of...
in 1689. In 1715 the castle was forfeited to the Crown following the Earl of Mar's leadership of the rebellion. The castle and lands were purchased by John Farquharson, 9th Laird of Invercauld
Clan Farquharson
Clan Farquharson of Invercauld is a Highland Scottish clan. The clan hails from Aberdeenshire and is a member of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:Farquhar - from the Gaelic 'fear' and 'char' meaning 'dear one'...
but the building was left in ruins
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
until 1748 when it was leased to the government at a fee of £14 per year, now to serve as a garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
for Hanoverian
Hanoverian
The adjective Hanoverian is used to describe:* British monarchs or supporters of the House of Hanover, the dynasty which ruled the United Kingdom from 1714 to 1901.* things relating to the Electorate of Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, or Province of Hanover...
troops. Rebuilding started under the command of John Adam
John Adam (architect)
John Adam was a Scottish architect. Born in Linktown of Abbotshall, now part of Kirkcaldy, Fife, he was the eldest son of architect and entrepreneur William Adam. His younger brothers Robert and James Adam also became architects.The Adam family moved to Edinburgh in 1728, as William Adam's career...
, Master Mason to the Board of Ordnance
Board of Ordnance
The Board of Ordnance was a British government body responsible for the supply of armaments and munitions to the Royal Navy and British Army. It was also responsible for providing artillery trains for armies and maintaining coastal fortresses and, later, management of the artillery and engineer...
.
In 1831 the military garrison was withdrawn and the castle returned to the Farquharson clan. Restoration to provide a family home began under the 12th Laird of Invercauld who entertained Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
there when she attended the Braemar Gatherings in the grounds of the Castle. In 1800 Braemar Castle was documented to have its moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
intact.
Since 2006 the castle has been leased to the local community. It is run on behalf of the community by local charity, Braemar Community Ltd and staffed by local volunteers, and an ambitious restoration programme has been started. It reopened to the public in 2008.
The building
The building is a five storey L-plan castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
with a star-shaped curtain wall
Curtain wall (fortification)
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two bastions of a castle or fortress.In earlier designs of castle the curtain walls were often built to a considerable height and were fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault difficult....
of six sharp-angled salients, and with three storey angle turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s. The central tower enfolds a round stair tower and is built of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
covered with harl
Harl
Harling is a Scottish term describing an exterior building surfacing technique. The theory of harling is to produce a long-lasting weatherproof shield for a stone building. A pigment can be embedded in the harled material, thus obviating the need for repainting...
. The main entrance retains an original iron yett
Yett
A yett is a gate or grille of latticed wrought iron bars used for defensive purposes in castles and tower houses...
, and many of the windows are protected by heavy iron grilles.
On the ground floor are stone-vaulted rooms which contained the guardroom, ammunition store and original kitchen. These are built out into the salients of the outer wall, and in Victorian times a second kitchen was added adjoining the staff rooms. In the floor of a passage, an iron grill provided access to the Laird's Pit, a dark hole used as a dungeon.
On each of the upper floors a large room and a small room occupied the two arms of the tower. On the first floor are the Dining Room and Morning Room, whilst on the floor above is the Laird's Day Room, entered by a curved door. Opposite is the Rose Room, and between the two is a small bathroom installed in 1901. In the main wing at this level is the Drawing Room, containing graffiti incised on the window-shutters by government troops. The words "John Chestnut, Sergeant, 1797" can be clearly seen. On the third floor is the Four Poster Bedroom, whilst on the fourth floor lie the Ladies Guest Bedroom, Gentlemans Guest Bedroom and the Principal Bedroom. These upper floors were used by the Farquharson family in the latter years of their visits.
Contents
Among the antiques on display within the castle are a Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
, and a piece of tartan plaid once worn by Bonnie Prince Charlie
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
.
Ghosts
The castle is reputedly haunted by several ghosts. Sightings have been reported of a young woman who was honeymooning in the castle. On waking one morning she found herself alone and, believing her husband had abandoned her, committed suicide. She usually appears to newlyweds.A piper has been seen in the back corridor, and a clash of steel can sometimes be heard on the staircase. The cries of a young baby, reputedly murdered in the castle, have also been reported.
John Farquharson, the Black Colonel of Inverey has been seen in certain rooms. His outline on the four poster bed has been seen on numerous occasions, and the scent of his tobacco is said to linger in many of the rooms.
Many of the ghosts are said to be depicted in Gustave Doré
Gustave Doré
Paul Gustave Doré was a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. Doré worked primarily with wood engraving and steel engraving.-Biography:...
's 1873 painting of Braemar Castle, which previously hung in the Drawing Room.