Beldorney Castle

Beldorney Castle stands in Aberdeenshire’s hilly Deveron valley, two miles south of Glass. Built in the mid-16th century, it is one of the earliest Z-plan castles in north-east Scotland. The castle’s name appears in records as Beldornie, Beldornay or Beldorny. The castle has passed through Ogilvy, Gordon, Lyon, Buchan and Grant hands. George Gordon bought the land in 1545 and built the castle before his death in 1575. Alexander Gordon remodelled the interior in 1713, uncovering a wall painting of a woman playing the lute. In 1807 Thomas Buchan sold the estate to Sir William Grant, who added a north wing in 1830. Later restorations took place in 1890 and the early 1980s. Visitors find a main block running north to south with a square Dog Tower at the north-west corner. A large drum tower with a rounded gable stands at the south-east angle. The vaulted basement holds a kitchen and two cellars, one of which once led to the hall by a mural stair. The 1679 wings enclose a courtyard entered through an arched gateway marked with John Gordon and Anne’s initials. The west face shows a replacement entrance decorated with a winged angel’s head.