Fyvie Castle, Turriff, United Kingdom

The earliest parts of Fyvie Castle date from the 13th century – some sources claim it was built in 1211 by William the Lion. Fyvie was the site of an open-air court held by Robert the Bruce, and Charles I lived there as a child.

Following the Battle of Otterburn in 1390, it ceased to be a royal stronghold and instead fell into the possession of five successive families, each of whom added a new tower to the castle. The oldest of these, the Preston tower (located on the far right as one faces the main facade of Fyvie), dates to between 1390 and 1433. The impressive Seton tower forms the entrance, and was erected in 1599 by Alexander Seton; Seton also commissioned the great processional staircase several years later. The Gordon tower followed in 1778 , and the Leith in 1890.

Inside, the castle stronghold features a great wheel stair, a display of original arms and armour, and a collection of portraits.

Manus O'Cahan and Montrose fought a successful minor battle against the Covenant Army at Fyvie Castle on October 28, 1644.

Following Victorian trends, the grounds and adjoining Loch Fyvie were landscaped in the 19th century. The Scottish industrialist Alexander Leith (later Baron Leith of Fyvie) bought the castle in 1885. It was sold to the National Trust for Scotland in 1984 by his descendants. Today the castle is open to the public.

The castle (like many places in Scotland) is said to be haunted. A story is told that in 1920 during renovation work the skeleton of a woman was discovered behind a bedroom wall. On the day the remains were laid to rest in Fyvie cemetery, the castle residents started to be plagued by strange noises and unexplained happenings.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Brian Wilson (2 years ago)
Impressive collection in the house, tourtook an hour and was excellent, would highly recommend

John Middleton (2 years ago)
Excellent scenic grounds and stunning castle

Roddy Wood (2 years ago)
Castle guide was very knowledgeable and funny. Only guided tours every hour. Castle grounds, walks and gardens well worth a visit. Recommended.

Rob Kempton (2 years ago)
Very pretty grounds. Unfortunately the castle was closed when we went so be sure to look up the times before visiting.

Racquel Wright (3 years ago)
Went to Fyvie Castle last week or so. Had a great time. Our guide was very engaging and gave us a real feel of the history of the castle. I would definitely recommend a visit. The gardens outside are quite nice as well and you can get produce from the gardens. Lovely spot. I would visit again.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Nicola since 1972

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