Castle Newe

Castle Newe stands in Aberdeenshire as a castellated mansion designed in 1831 by Archibald Simpson. It replaced a 17th-century Z-plan castle built in 1604 with square towers, similar to Glenbuchat Castle. William Leslie of Nethermuir commissioned the new house. The original castle had been owned by the Leslie family before passing to the Forbes family. In 1927 the mansion was demolished and its stone reused for Elphinstone Hall at the University of Aberdeen. The site is worth visiting for its links to two Scottish clans and a notable architect. The Forbes family held the property for generations after acquiring it from the Leslies. Archibald Simpson, a respected architect of the 19th century, created the mansion’s distinctive style. The demolition left only the coach house, now called the House of Newe, which still holds furniture from the old castle. This single remaining building keeps the estate’s history alive. Visitors find the House of Newe set within the former grounds of Castle Newe. The coach house contains pieces of furniture that once furnished the grand mansion. The surrounding Aberdeenshire landscape offers quiet walks where the castle once stood. The site remains a place to reflect on the Forbes family’s long connection to the land. The nearby Elphinstone Hall, built with the castle’s stone, links the past to the present.