Tolquhon Castle

Tolquhon Castle stands in Aberdeenshire as a ruined 16th-century stronghold. It sits between the villages of Pitmedden and Tarves, about 2.4 kilometres north-west of the first and 3.2 kilometres south of the second. The castle grew from an earlier tower house called Preston’s Tower, built in the early 1400s. William Forbes, the 7th Laird of Tolquhon, enlarged it between 1584 and 1589. The new work included a grand gatehouse, a first-floor gallery and comfortable living quarters. King James VI was entertained here in July 1589. The castle is recognised as a fine example of Scots Renaissance architecture. Its gatehouse bears an inscription recording the start and finish of the building work. The mason-architect Thomas Leiper designed the entrance with distinctive triple shot-holes. Inside, the main hall shows unusual stone tilework. A prison was placed in the south-east tower, while a doocot stands in the outer courtyard to the north. The Forbes family lived here until 1718, when debts forced them to leave. Visitors find the remains of Preston’s Tower at the north-east corner of the courtyard. The west range still shows the first-floor gallery. The south range contains the main hall, reached by a stair from the courtyard. The gatehouse entrance and its carved inscription remain clearly visible. Outside, the walled outer courtyard holds the ruins of the doocot. The setting is quiet farmland, with no modern buildings nearby.