I once saw a decorative throw pillow that said, “Pink isn’t just a color; it’s an attitude.” Well, if that’s true, then today’s castle has attitude out the yin-yang! This is Craigievar Castle. Isn’t she a beaut?
Craigievar is a gorgeous, well-preserved Scottish baronial style castle that sits about ten minutes south of the village of Alford in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
The land on which Craigievar sits once belonged to the Mortimer family. The Mortimers started construction on the seven-story tower house sometime around 1576. They ran out of funds, however, and were unable to see it through to completion. So, they sold the property to the Forbes family in 1610, and construction was completed by 1626.
Craigievar remained a family home until 1963 when its owner William Forbes-Sempill (19th laird of Craigievar) gave the castle to The National Trust for Scotland. Can you believe it? A castle that wasn’t attacked by Oliver Cromwell.
Craigievar’s signature pink exterior is made with a technique known as harling. According to Wikipedia, harling is “a rough-cast wall finish consisting of lime and aggregate, notable for its rough texture.” It was a common technique used in Scottish castles.
Sadly, Craigievar wasn’t open on the day Mr. C and I stopped by, so we only got to enjoy the grounds. We’re hoping to try again when we return to Scotland next spring and take a tour of the inside. I’ll be curious to learn much more about its history – including the stories of its ghostly inhabitants!
I hope you enjoyed today’s brief history of Craigievar Castle. I certainly enjoyed reminiscing.
Have a fabulous week, my friends.
Cheers,
*Walt Disney castle photo courtesy of Pixabay
Always enjoy your charming and informative posts. 🙂
Thanks, Joan!
❤️👏🏼
Wow! What a fabulous castle. I fo hope you get t see inside next time. I think it must be filled with amazing stories.
I can only imagine. There are supposedly some really great ghost stories associated with the castle.
We visited Craigievar in 1997. A fun fact is that when the Forbes family donated Craigievar they left the furnishings. Kind of looked liked they’d just stepped out and would be back soon. I hope you get to see the interior.
As usual, I learned something from your post. “Harling.” So that’s what that surface is.
And I wonder what that ominous looking shading is at the top. I hope not damp.
That sounds very similar to Lauriston. The owners (who died in the 1920’s) willed the castle to the City of Edinburgh under the condition that it remain unchanged. It is absolutely heaping with their furnishings and various collections and acquisitions.
I’m not sure why the facade looks wet at the top. I read that the castle was reharled about ten years ago so who knows. Glad you learned a new fact!
It’s a shame that it was closed when you came to visit. Anyway it’s awesome to look at!
XOXO Reni
Yes, hopefully we’ll catch it next time. I read that upon request of the former owners, there is no artificial lighting above the first floor. That must really give it an authentic look. Can’t wait to see it!
Just added to my to-see list! Brilliant capture!
Wonderful! It’s a gorgeous castle.