Corgarff Castle

Corgarff Castle is a compact 16th-century tower house west of Strathdon, set in open upland country close to the A939. Its white tower and pointed, star-shaped wall give it a distinctive outline. Come for the building and its layered Highland history; this is a small castle visit, not a sprawling estate.

From the car park, a 350 m loose-gravel path climbs to the door at a 1:5 gradient and crosses a 75 cm kissing gate. Inside, more staircases connect rooms on several floors, including a spiral stair. A drop-off at the entrance can be arranged, but the interior remains stair-heavy. There are no toilets at the castle. It normally closes for winter, so check seasonal access before making the drive.

The star-shaped enclosure is more than decoration: it was added when the castle became a military barracks and is pierced by musket loops. For a photo, include the wall around the tower; a close view of the tower alone misses the feature that makes Corgarff unusual.

The tower was built in the mid-1500s as the fortified home of the Forbeses of Corgarff. In 1571, Adam Gordon attacked after Margaret, wife of the laird of Towie, refused him entry. The story became the ballad “Edom o Gordon”; the historical account says 27 people died in the fire. Montrose occupied the castle in 1645, when it was already derelict, and Jacobites burned it in both 1689 and 1690 to keep it from government forces.

After Culloden, Redcoats arrived in 1746 and stripped out the tower for barracks. The complex included two pavilions and the star wall, while the tower housed an officer, three non-commissioned officers and up to 42 men. The garrison patrolled Strathdon for 95 years, first pursuing Jacobite sympathisers and later helping excisemen suppress illegal whisky making and smuggling. The army left in 1831. A legal distillery briefly operated here in the 1820s, and a small period still is displayed in a military pavilion.

The exposed setting is part of the visit. Roe deer and mountain hares live in the surrounding country; the hare's coat turns white in winter. Listen for skylarks overhead. The best wide view is the whole white tower inside its angular enclosure, with the open hills beyond.