Inchdrewer Castle, Banff, United Kingdom

Inchdrewer Castle is a 16th-century tower house in the parish of Banff. Originally owned by the Currour family, it was purchased by the Ogilvies of Dunlugas in 1557 and became their main family seat. The Ogilvies were staunch Royalists, which resulted in the castle coming under attack from the Covenanters in 1640.

George Ogilvy, 3rd Lord Banff was murdered in 1713 and his body hidden inside the castle, which was then set on fire. The castle came under siege again in 1746, during the Jacobite rebellion. At the start of the 19th century, following the death of the 8th Lord Banff, the property was inherited by the Abercromby of Birkenbog family, who leased it to a tenant. It became uninhabited after 1836 and the structure deteriorated.

Over the following century the neglect continued until some basic external renovation work was undertaken between 1965 and 1971, making the structure wind and water tight, although it remained unoccupied. The castle was again abandoned and left unmaintained. The condition of the building further declined, becoming derelict. It was in a ruinous state when marketed for sale in April 2013 after the death of Count Robin Mirrlees, who had owned it for about fifty years. At the end of that year it was purchased by the former model Olga Roh, who said she intended to restore it. Modern day reports suggest that the spirit of the 3rd Lord Banff and that of a white dog haunt the castle.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Igor Smy (3 years ago)
Partially Ruined. It's not tourist Spot. Long walk from road. If you interested in history yes, if you want to have a nice walk for fun, better to choose any other castles around Aberdeenshire.

Miss Cotter (3 years ago)
Looks great but it's not set up with visitors in mind. All locked up with signs warning of CCTV. Some local information about the castle would be helpful.

Ton Compable (3 years ago)
Poor access. The better access is by staying on the road instead of turning in towards the cottage as directed by Google, but it is a longer walk. The castle itself is interesting but completely shuttered preventing any access, which is a shame.walking round it does show many interesting features, and there is a plaque to one of the previous owners, but I would recommend viewing the castle in conjuction with reading about its history online to give a better perspective. There is no disabled access of any sort so for elderly, disabled or people with any mobility problems, this is not the place for you to visit.

Shannon Houston (4 years ago)
Walked down a grassy path to the Castle - was surprised at how good condition it was in! But was hoping there might be more to explore - as it is boarded up and has signs saying security cameras in use. So can only really view from the outside, but still worth visiting if you are a Castle lover!

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