Craigievar Castle
A pink fairy-tale castle with layers of tower roofs and spires, said to be one of the inspirations for the Disney castle.
Craigievar Castle sits on a hillside about 42 kilometres west of Aberdeen. It was completed in 1626 by the merchant William Forbes. Its seven-storey Scottish baronial tower is painted pink, and its top is crowded with round turrets, spires and carved decoration. Known as a 'fairy-tale castle', it is often said to be one of the inspirations for the Disney Cinderella Castle. It is managed by the NTS. The interior is narrow, so visitors can only join a limited guided tour of about 45 minutes, which shows 17th-century plaster ceilings and family treasures. In peak summer, book online in advance. Tickets cost about 15 pounds. The grounds and woodland trails outside are free all year. You need to drive there, about 50 minutes. It can be combined with Fraser Castle and Drum Castle in a one-day castle trail trip.
Opening hours
Guided tours about April–September (check website); gardens open year-round
Nearby sights
- Bennachie
- Castle Fraser
- Crathes Castle
- Drum Castle
- Fyvie Castle
- Stonehaven
- Dunnottar Castle
- Gordon Highlanders Museum