Beaufort Castle

Beaufort Castle stands beside the River Beauly in the Highlands, a baronial mansion built in 1880 that still holds older parts from the 18th century. The site has been fortified since the 12th century, when a castle was first mentioned during the reign of Alexander I. The present building incorporates fragments of earlier structures, including a single wall from the 15th-century Dounie Castle. The estate has belonged to the Fraser family for centuries and remains the traditional seat of the Lords Lovat. A private Roman Catholic chapel sits within the mansion, reflecting the family’s long-standing faith. The castle’s history is marked by sieges and political intrigue. Oliver Cromwell’s forces burned the medieval stronghold in the 1650s, and the 11th Lord Lovat, known as ‘The Fox’, played a key role in the Jacobite cause before his execution after Culloden. The 13th Lord Lovat commissioned the current building in the 19th century, blending new design with surviving elements. The grounds are recognised in Scotland’s national listing of significant gardens, and the ruins of the old castle stand nearby as a reminder of the past. Visitors find a grand baronial house with a private chapel and the remains of the earlier fortress beside it. The single surviving wall of Dounie Castle bears a plaque marking its destruction in the 18th century. The mansion itself is a category A listed building, and the designed landscape around it is included in Scotland’s inventory of notable gardens. The setting beside the River Beauly adds to the sense of history and seclusion. The estate’s long connection with the Fraser clan is evident in every part of the place.