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Castle Day
"Castles are fairy tales written in stone."
Think Pink, ye castles of yore! Craigievar Castle, near Alford in Aberdeenshire, is a picturesque jewel nestled in the Scottish Highlands and a stunning example of Scottish Baronial architecture. This seven-story tower house, completed in 1626, is famed for its fairy-tale appearance, characterized by its pink-hued harled walls, turrets, and crow-stepped gables. Its construction is attributed to William Forbes, amd has inspired artists and writers for centuries, often said to have influenced Walt Disney's design for Cinderella's Castle! Now managed by the National Trust for Scotland, welcomes visitors keen to explore its rich history, beautifully preserved interiors, and the collection of period furniture and artwork! This tartans colours were chosen so that the reds match the pink hues of the castle’s exterior; the blues to represent the slate spires and the sky over the castle; yellow, representing gold, for the castle’s weather vane; and brown and green for the detailing on the castle and the trees surrounding it. 💗 💙 💗 🏰
Designed by Locharron of Scotland, the register notes for this tartan are:
This tartan was designed to celebrate the completion of a major conservation project at Craigievar Castle, near Alford in Aberdeenshire. The castle is well known and much loved around the globe for its distinct pink exterior. The project involved high level repairs to the roof and harling on the building as well as refreshing the lime wash that gives Craigievar Castle its distinctive pink colour. Craigievar Castle has been under the care of the National Trust for Scotland since the 1960s. Colours: the reds were chosen directly to match the pink hues of the castle’s exterior; the blues are intended to represent the slate spires and the sky over the castle; yellow, representing gold, was inspired by the castle’s weather vane; and brown and green were inspired by the detailing on the castle and the trees surrounding it.
Craigievar Castle, nestled in the rolling hills of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is one of the finest examples of Scottish Baronial architecture. With its iconic pink harled walls, fairytale turrets, and conical roofs, the castle is often said to have inspired Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle.
Construction began around 1576 by the Mortimer family, but financial troubles halted progress. In 1610, the estate was purchased by William Forbes, a wealthy Aberdeen merchant known as "Danzig Willie" due to his successful trade with the Baltic port of Gdańsk (Danzig). He completed the castle in 1626, giving it the charming and romantic appearance it still has today.
The Forbes family owned and occupied Craigievar for nearly 350 years. Remarkably, the castle was never significantly modernized with electricity or plumbing, preserving its historical character. In the 1960s, the family gifted the castle to the National Trust for Scotland, which now maintains it.
Craigievar’s interiors feature Jacobean woodwork, original plaster ceilings, and a fine collection of family portraits and artifacts. Surrounded by woodlands and gardens, the castle feels timeless — a pink-tinted echo of Scotland’s storied past.
For more on Craigievar Castle, click the castle!