Cluny Castle

Cluny Castle stands in Aberdeenshire’s rolling farmland between Monymusk and Sauchen. Built around 1604 on the site of an earlier house or peel tower, it follows a distinctive Z-plan with four corner towers. The Gordon family has owned it since the 17th century, sheltering Jacobite supporters in the 1740s. Colonel John Gordon commissioned major additions in the 1820s from architect John Smith, who encased the old structure in matching granite. A private chapel completed in 1870 was praised by the British press as one of the kingdom’s finest oratories.

The castle’s history is tied to the rise and fall of the Gordons. King Robert the Bruce granted the lands to his sister’s husband in the early 14th century. Sir Thomas Gordon built the first castle in 1604, but financial troubles soon forced a change of hands. Colonel John Gordon became one of Scotland’s richest commoners by the mid-19th century, adding artificial lakes and woodlands to the estate. A fire in 1926 destroyed two wings and the chapel, but repairs restored most of the damage.

Visitors find a grand granite mansion with a principal dining hall on the first floor. The 1820s extensions link the old Z-plan core to a replica wing, creating a continuous gallery corridor. Circular towers with hooded windows and crenellated parapets rise above bold corbels. The chapel, rebuilt after the fire, retains its Gothic detailing though some original artworks were lost. The surrounding policies include designed landscapes listed as outstanding by Historic Scotland.