Drum Castle

Drum Castle stands on a ridge near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, about ten and a half kilometres northeast of Banchory. The original tower dates from the late 13th century and is thought to be one of the oldest unaltered tower houses in Scotland. It was built by Richard Cementarius, the same medieval architect responsible for the Brig o’ Balgownie. The castle was granted to William de Irwyn in 1323 by Robert the Bruce and remained in the hands of Clan Irvine for more than six centuries. In 1975 the estate passed to the National Trust for Scotland, which now cares for the property. The castle’s history includes visits from Mary, Queen of Scots, who sent a messenger in 1564 and may have stopped at Drum. The 9th laird added a large wing in 1619, and later owners carried out Victorian restorations. The chapel, originally an older church, was remodelled in the 16th and 17th centuries and restored again in the 19th century. The estate once had its own railway station on the Deeside line, closed in 1951. Visitors find the medieval tower, the Jacobean wing and a Victorian library filled with more than four thousand books. The 16th-century chapel holds a stained glass window and the Augsburg silver Madonna. Outside, the Garden of Historic Roses spreads across four areas, and a walled garden and playground are also on site. A small shop and tearoom provide refreshments, while temporary exhibitions and guided tours add to the visit. The surrounding estate offers views of the Dee valley and traces of ancient trackways once used by Roman soldiers.