Name: Craigievar Castle
Rating: 5.0

Craigievar Castle

Craigievar Castle, Craigievar, Alford, Aberdeenshire AB33 8JF, UK

1-99 Years

Paid

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Description

Craigievar Castle, an iconic Scottish castle, Nestled on a picturesque hillside, the elegant pink tower of Craigievar Castle is spellbindingly beautiful, sure to enchant children and adults alike. Packed with history, armour and art. Discover the beautiful pink castle said to be the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle.

Explore the castle grounds and walk our woodland trail, keeping an eye out for incredible wildlife that roam Craigievar; see if you can spot our fantastic five. Admire one of Scotland’s first house martin towers.

Price starts from £17.00 for Adults and £33.00 for One adult family. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Castel: Built by the Mortimers of Craigievar between c1575–95, Craigievar Castle in its original form would have looked a little different: rather than the iconic turrets, the uppermost level of the castle was likely much plainer and less soaring in height. The late 16th-century castle is everything below the carved stone corbel, decorated with projecting stone cannons that wraps around the castle walls. Due to the skill of the architect-masons who worked on Craigievar, it’s not immediately apparent that Craigievar is actually the result of two building phases!
Grounds and woodland: Today the castle grounds are very much one with the surrounding landscape, informal and naturalistic. Woodland cloaks the hills to the north and west, while fields stretch eastwards. In previous centuries there were more formally laid out gardens at Craigievar: an estate plan from the late 18th century shows a series of enclosed gardens, orchards and artful woodland 'wilderness' surrounding the castle. In the 19th century these were replaced, as the grounds were transformed into a sweeping parkland landscape. An arboretum was established on the lawns around the castle, pieces of which remain today: you can still admire the two large European silver firs (Abies alba), a monkey puzzle (Araucaria araucana), and four Wellingtonias (Sequoiadendron giganteum).
Pink Again project: A project to carry out essential maintenance work to Craigievar Castle. This involved high level repairs to the roof and harling on the building as well as refreshing the lime wash that gives Craigievar its distinctive pink colour.
Wildlife: Craigievar’s remote location on Donside, and the lack of disturbance from high numbers of visitors, means this has become an important site for wildlife in the area. Here are our top five species to look out for when you’re out and about on our trails. Each has an ‘easy to see’ rating, a fun fact and a top tip for when and where to look.

Facilities

Parking: Car parking is free for members. The car park is 300m from the castle. Disabled car parking spaces are available in the main car park, with priority drop off adjacent to the castle. Please contact the castle to arrange.
Food & Drinks: Pre-wrapped cakes, crisps and ice creams can be purchased from the kiosk in the grounds. Sit at the picnic tables and enjoy the view of the castle.
Toilets: The toilets are in the main car park. There are no toilets in the castle.

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Castle(1 Sep–27 Oct)

Adult: £17.00
Family: £38.50
One adult family: £33.00
Young Scot: £1.00
Concession: £13.50

Castle (1 Jul–31 Aug)

Adult: £22.00
Concession: £18.50
Family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children): £45.00
One adult family: £38.00
Young Scot: £1.00

Grounds and woodland: Free

Membership: £6.20 for Adults, £3.60 for Young(16 to 24) & £5.55 for Seniors.

For more information please visit: https://www.nts.org.uk/join

Pricing URL: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/craigievar/planning-your-visit

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Castle, shop and kiosk:

1 Sep–29 Sep: Fri–Mon - 10.30–16.00
30 Sep–26 Oct: Sat–Sun - 11.00–15.00
27 Oct–31: Dec- closed

Grounds: Jan–31 Dec - daily - dawn–dusk.

Address: Craigievar Castle, Craigievar, Alford, Aberdeenshire AB33 8JF, UK

Post Code: AB33 8JF

Council: Huntly

County: Aberdeenshire

Location: Craigievar Castle, Alford, Aberdeenshire, AB33 8JF
Parking: Car parking is free for members. The car park is 300m from the castle. Disabled car parking spaces are available in the main car park, with priority drop off adjacent to the castle. Please contact the castle to arrange.