Our ‘Golden’ Summer Blog Series: Part III- Craigievar Castle

*We continue our ‘Golden’ Summer Blog series with a visit to Craigievar Castle where Walter takes his turn at the helm again to cover this iconic historical site. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the first two parts of the series- Crathes Castle and Leith Hall.

Walter’s Travel Journal: Day 3- Craigievar Castle

I’m so excited because today we are going to a castle where my big brothers, Sawyer and Finn, previously visited- Craigievar Castle! I miss them both so much, and I think it is the perfect way to honour their memory.

Mom tells me that Craigievar Castle just had it’s harling refreshed and it’s beautifully pink again. It reminds me of the castles in Disneyland and Disney World. Of course, I haven’t seen them in person, but I’ve watched videos. What can I say? I’m a fan of watching Disney+ (I particularly like Dug from the movie, 'Up').

Speaking of Mom, Arthur and I are watching her as she heads inside the Castle for the tour. That means we have time to explore a bit with Dad before it’s his turn.

Dad says that construction of the tower house at Craigievar Castle was initiated by the Mortimer family in the early 16^th century. However, financial troubles led to its acquisition by William Forbes, known as ‘Danzig Willie’ for his merchant success in the Baltic. It was completed in 1626 as a family home for the Forbes clan (later also known as Forbes-Sempill).

Over the centuries, the castle has remained remarkably unchanged, preserving its original charm and intricate detailing, such as its corbelled turrets and medieval staircases. The Forbes family occupied the castle until the mid-20^th century, when it was handed over to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).

Do you see that rainbow in the distance?! I just know it’s a sign from Sawyer and Finn to let me know they’re watching from doggy heaven. I hope I’m making them proud with how hard I’ve been working to mentor and train Arthur.

Related to Arthur’s training, he has been doing better than I expected on our Grand Tour of Aberdeenshire. However, he still needs to work on sitting still and smiling as you can see in the photo evidence below.

Sometimes I just have to lean in and give him a little whisper of a reminder that he needs to behave. After all, there are treats at stake, and this is no joking matter!

Isn’t this a beautiful place to wait for Mom? They have a nice picnic table for Dad, and Arthur and I can get a much-needed drink while we relax in the shade.

Mom just came out of the Castle, and her and Dad are getting their own ‘treats’ - ice cream from the Barmkin Kiosk. Don’t worry, Dad already gave us our dog biscuits. Also, you may be asking, what does ‘Barmkin’ mean? Well, Mom and Dad are talking about that now, and apparently it’s a Scots word for a lower enclosing wall. Barmkin walls were an important part of early tower house architecture in Scotland and most tower houses were once surrounded by such walls. The purpose of a barmkin was to offer the tower house a private and secure courtyard as there was usually only one main, guarded entrance. You can get a feeling of how this was for Craigievar Castle’s barmkin wall (that dates from the 16^th century) in the video below.

Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take photos or video in Craigievar Castle, but the National Trust for Scotland kindly provided a few photos for us to share with you. So, let’s head inside the house for a wee tour.

We will start in the Hall. Isn’t it magnificent?! Mom says that the table is believed to be original to the room. It isn’t easy to tell in the photo, but the chairs are so high, people needed to use footstools to get up on them. The exquisite plasterwork has the date 1626. The striking tartan carpet was added by Lady Cecilia Sempill in the 1900s.

Image Credit: National Trust for Scotland

We next head into another grand room- the Queen’s Room. The room is dominated by the early 18^th century Baroque ‘angel’ bed. My first thought was that these beds must be called that because they were for perfect little angels like me.😉 However, Mom says that ‘angel’ beds have a canopy (or tester) that is suspended from the ceiling rather than supported by foot-posts.

Image Credit: National Trust for Scotland

The last room we will visit inside Craigievar Castle is the Nursery. Interestingly, the room was only briefly used as a nursery after World War II. Previously, it was a sitting room and then after it was a nursery, it served as a bedroom.

Image Credit: National Trust for Scotland

Well, it’s been a fun day visiting another ‘fairy tale’ castle in Aberdeenshire, but I’m exhausted, and so is the little guy. We need to get back to camp so we can cuddle….I mean so Arthur can get to sleep, and I have some important research to do for tomorrow’s adventure. Of course, I suppose he can curl up to me if it helps him keep warm. He may be a goof, but I’ll admit it- he has his adorable moments.

Mom and Dad are reminding me to tell you that you need to visit Craigievar Castle if you come to Aberdeenshire as there is so much more to see inside. You can visit their website for more information. Also, be sure to subscribe to our blog because Arthur and I will be continuing our ‘Golden’ Summer blog series with more epic castles and historic places coming your way.

Until next time- Explore & Discover!

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