Aboyne Castle

Aboyne Castle stands beside the River Dee in Aberdeenshire. Built in the 13th century as a motte and bailey, it once controlled one of the Mounth crossings. The Bysets began the castle before 1233, and Edward I ordered further fortification in 1307. Later owners turned it into a stone keep and added a tower house in 1671. The 2nd Earl enlarged it into a mansion in 1701, and the 9th Marquess added an east wing in 1801. Restoration work continued through the 19th and 20th centuries, with Ian Begg remodelling it in 1986. The castle’s architecture shows layers from different centuries. Its three-storey structure has a symmetrical east elevation and asymmetrical north, south and west fronts. The oldest part is the north-west tower, a five-storey circular structure with a corbelled top. A harled and lime-washed exterior hides a slate roof with small-pane windows and several turrets. Inside, a principal floor is reached by stone steps, and a possible secret passageway leads from the basement. A heraldic panel sits between two windows on the north front, topped by decorative ironwork. The grounds stretch along both banks of the Dee, including ornamental plantations and the Loch of Aboyne. The loch measures roughly 300 metres by 480 metres and is dotted with small islets. Fly-fishing takes place on the Upper Dee under agreement with Glen Tanar Estate. Nearby, Allach Bridge crosses the burn of the same name, retaining its ancient title. A 19th-century cowstead has been converted into Coos’ Cathedral, used for weddings and the ceremonies of Love Is Blind: UK Season 2. The estate also preserves the Formaston Stone, carved between 800 and 1000 with a mirror symbol, a Celtic cross and an Ogham inscription.