Craigston Castle

Built by, and home to, the Urquharts since 1607, Craigston Castle is located on the north-east coast of Scotland – considered by National Geographic to be one of the most beautiful coast-lines in the world.

Set amongst private park and woodland, with exclusive use, you will have the castle to yourselves, however, Elisabetta who lives in a self-contained flat in the south wing, will be on hand should you need anything.

Come and experience the friendly, relaxed atmosphere and make yourself at home in these historical surroundings.

Photography Copyright 2023, hastoncreative.com

Inside

Bedrooms

The castle sleeps twelve and each of the six bedrooms has its own bathroom. A cot(crib) is available upon request.

The Blue Room

The Blue Room has traditionally been one of the best rooms in the house. With its large and imposing four-poster bed and en-suite bathroom, it is always popular with family and guests.

The Old Nursery

The Old Nursery is a charming room where many generations of the family spent their early years. It was also once said to be haunted and, even though the ghost was undoubtedly benevolent, the bishop of Aberdeen was invited to carry out an exorcism in the early 1900s. This room has a dedicated bathroom just a few paces down the hall.

The White Room

This room has long been a firm favourite. The furniture is almost exclusively made by Heppelthwaite. It has its own dedicated, recently modernised bathroom just a few steps away.

The Fraser Room

This lovely little room is named after old family friends (the Frasers of Castle Fraser) who used to be regular guests and always stayed in this room. The room has two double beds, one though is a very small antique double, which is probably only suitable for a single person. This room has a dedicated bathroom just a few steps away.

The Holly Room

This twin or double room with en-suite bathroom is named after the Laird’s mother, who was in turn named after the “Holly Walk”, a path behind the castle that is surrounded by beautiful holly trees. The room is located on the ground floor and used to be the children’s playroom.

The Kings Room

The Kings room is so called because it is believed that various kings (though there is no record of which ones) stayed here in the past. The room next door is called the Barrack Room where it is believed the king’s guards slept. This room has one wall covered in a very beautiful original Chinese wall paper.

Public Rooms

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The Drawing Room

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The Drawing Room was refurbished in the 1800s when important pieces such as the looking-glasses were acquired in France. The magnificent carved-oak panels that line the windows and doors depict biblical themes, Scottish kings and great heroes.

Despite its grandeur, this room is also cosy and, in the evening, you can sit by the fire and enjoy a good whisky from one of the many local distilleries.

The Ante-Drawing Room has beautiful red wallpaper, family portraits and a “Laird’s lug”.

The Morning Room, originally used for breakfast, is available as a dining room for guests together with the Colonial room. Adjacent to the Morning room there is the Bluter room with a “dumb waiter” that is still used to bring food up from the kitchen below.

The Queen's Room, where Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother stayed in the early 1950s, has recently been converted into a sitting room/TV room for guests.

The castle has a fully-equipped traditional kitchen, with modern appliances for self-catering. Meals can be eaten in the kitchen, in the Morning Room and in the Colonial Room.

Complimentary wifi is provided.

Grounds

Craigston is set in 250 acres of mature mixed wood and parkland in the middle of the working Craigston Home Farm. Different walks can be taken through the woods, from a light 20-minute stroll to a more strenuous trek. There are plenty of wild animals to be seen, including deer, foxes, hares, woodcock, owls, buzzards, sparrow hawks and just few steps from home in the back garden, squirrels, badgers, woodpeckers, and pine martins.

History

The Urquhart family is one of the oldest in Scotland and can be traced back to Adam Urquhart, the Sheriff of Cromarty in 1357.

Activities

This part of Aberdeenshire is famous for its rolling hills, open farmland and coastal beaches and cliffs, with many attractions and hidden gems across the region. A list of trusted partner will also be provided to organize activities indoor and in the castle grounds.

Prices