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Visiting Tolquhon Castle
Tolquhon Castle, pronounced 'to-hon', stands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and is a fine example of a courtyard castle. For a nominal fee, visitors may view the interior and exterior of the castle and climb up to the battlements. The 1584 castle is a later addition to the 1400s Preston Tower.
Parking
Visitors may access the Tolquhon Castle via a minor road that branches west off the B999. You may find this road midway between Tarves and Pitmedden.
The road leads you up a hill and along a ridge to a small gravel car park next to the visitors centre. The castle entrance is about 80m (262 feet) from the parking area along a level gravel path.
Price
Pass Holder/ Member have free access to the castle
Adult: £6.00
Child aged 5-15: £3.60
Child under 5: FREE
Concession: £4.80
Opening
The castle is currently closed to the public. You may check the reopening schedule on Historic Environments Scotland's website.
However, the castle is normally open to the public daily (except Thursdays) from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, with the last visitors accepted at 5 pm. The monument may be closed for lunch.
The castle is also usually open from April the 1st to September the 30th and closed between October the 1st and March the 31st.
Location and Access
Visitors can locate the Tolquhon castle at:
Tolquhon Castle
Tarves
Aberdeenshire
AB41 7LP
National Grid reference: NJ 872 286
The castle is 80m (262 feet) from the visitors centre up a level gravel path. There are numerous steps, and the floor is uneven, so visitors should take care of their footing. The ground floor offers access to the:
- Bakehouse
- Wine cellar
- Brewhouse
- Kitchen
Fourteen steps lead to the first floor, which has a gallery and hall, and visitors may access the view from the battlements from the stone spiral staircase of 19 steps.
Know Before You Go
- An adult must accompany children under 16 to visit the site.
- Visitors may access the visitor centre via a step-free ramp or stairs.
- There are grassed areas for families who wish to picnic.
- Visitors may use the toilet facilities in the shop.
- Historic Environment allows dogs on a leash to visit the castle grounds.
Places To Stay Nearby
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Premier Inn Aberdeen Dyce
The centrally located Premier Inn Aberdeen Dyce is close to striking coastlines and many historical sites to explore, such as Tolquhon Castle and Balmoral Castle.
The hotel offers competitively priced accommodation with wifi, en suite rooms and an in-house restaurant. The average price for a standard room is $38, depending on which package you select.
Meldrum House Country Hotel & Golf Course
Meldrum House offers luxury accommodation in a historical setting. The original manor house is over 800 years old, and each bedroom is designed with uniquely Scottish interiors.
The Hotel offers an extensive selection of Scottish Ales and whiskies and a bar and restaurant that serves various local fare. Prices range from £192 ($262) for the Superior suite to $312 ($427) for the Lairds Suite.
The Redgarth Hotel
The Redgarth Hotel is a traditional inn overlooking Bennachie in the Grampian Mountains. They offer six luxury suites and a bar, and an award-winning restaurant. The hotel also offers an exciting range of whiskies from the Glen Garioch Distillery and a fine selection of ales, stouts and ciders.
The hotel is close to Cairngorm National Park and the beautiful local coastline with marine and birdlife. Rooms start at £95 per night ($130).
History of Tolquhon Castle
William Forbes, The 7th Laird of Tolquhon, built the castle between 1584 and 1589 as a secure and comfortable abode. The castle passed hands through several generations of Forbes, the Lairds of Tolquhon and was finally relinquished by Crown decree. By the 1800s, the castle was in a state of ruin.
Time Line
-The 1200s
Historians believe that The site of Tolquhon Castle may have been occupied by an earlier build when Tolquhon and Fyvie were the centres of administration of the Thanage of Formartine under the crown control.
-1390
Robert III granted the Tolquhon Thanage to Sir Thomas Preston.
-The early 1400s
Historians believe The Prestons of Craigmillar built the original tower that occupies the castle site.
-1420
The castle and property passed by marriage through Majorie Preston to Sir John Forbes, whose son William Forbes then built the rest of the castle.
The original tower house was fairly small with a 'bamkin' or defensive wall around it. Historians recovered an armorial panel displaying Forbes arms from the rubble of the tower.
-1547
The 6th Lard, Alexander Forbes, died at the Battle of Pinkie and left the castle and lands to his descendants.
-1584
The 7th Laird of Tolquhon, William Forbes, began work on a new castle adding luxury accommodation to the existing tower and improved the gardens and parklands.
The castle was rebuilt over five years with some unusual decorative architecture by the medieval architect Thomas Leiper whose initials still stand on the exterior of the main house in the castle ruins.
-1589
William Forbes entertained King James VI at his castle during the King's campaign against the Gordon Earls of Huntly.
-1596
William Forbes died and left the castle and lands to his son, also named William. The new lord of the castle makes plans for renovations but never completes them. Williams heirs continued to occupy the castle until 1718
-1715
Because he supported the Jacobite Rebellion, Parliament declared the Forbes' estate forfeit to the crown. However, they refuse to vacate the castle.
-1716
William Forbes, the 11th Laird, fell into debt due to his involvement in the Darien Scheme, which attempted to create a Scottish colony on Darien Island. Their debt forced them to sell the castle to the Farqhuars, but they still maintained their presence at the castle.
-1718
A detachment of soldiers evicted William Forbes the 11th Laird of Torquhin from his ancestral seat at the castle.
-The Early 1700s
The Earl of Aberdeen purchased the castle and lands to use as his farmhouse, and the castle began its descent into ruin.
-The 1840s
Drawings of the castle at this time show the castle to be in a state of disrepair.
-1929
The State takes Tolquhon Castle into its care, and today Historic Environment Scotland are custodians of the castle, which is a scheduled monument.
Tolquhon Castle Occupants
- 1420: Majorie Preston married John Forbes and built and occupied the castle
- 1547: Alexander Forbes, the 6th Laird of Tolquhon, occupied the castle until his death in battle.
- 1584: The 7th Laird of Tolquhon William inherits and occupies the castle.
- 1589: King James VI visits Tolquhon castle.
- 1596: William the 8th Laird of Tolquhon occupied the castle.
- 1517: Willam Forbes 11th laird of Tolquhon occupied the castle until his eviction in 1718
- 1517: The Earl of Aberdeen purchased the castle and used it as a farmhouse.
Images of Tolquhon Castle
Images Supplied and licensed from Shutterstock Standard Licence Package
Tolquhon Castle Facts
- William had an elaborate tomb built for himself and his wife Elizabeth Gordon at the parish church nearby Traves village.
- Historians believe the stone figure on the side of the armorial panels represents William Forbes himself as it is similar to his likeness on his tomb in Traves.
- Visitors can view William Forbes secret chamber below the floor of the main bedchamber where historians suggest he hid his valuables.
Tolquhon Castle Q&A
What Kind of Castle Is Tolquhon Castle?
Although Tolquhon Castle has battlements and defensive walls, the castle wasn’t created as a military stronghold but rather an administrative centre and show of power.
Additionally, while there were originally four brass guns to protect the castle, the castle wasn’t involved in any famous battles.
How Old Is Tolquhon Castle?
The oldest part of Tolquhon Castle is the Preston Tower was originally a four-storey tower house built in the early 1400s.
The later additions were built between 1564 and 1589 and show many decorative renaissance features such as sculpture and ornament.
Location of Tolquhon Castle
Tolquhon Castle lies 1.5 miles (2.4m) northwest of Pitmedden and two miles (3.2km) south of Tarves.
The new needs of the Renaissance Laird prompted them to extend on the original Preston Tower built in 1420. Willam Forbes extended the site of the original tower by creating four ranges set around an open courtyard.
The new build's thin walls and fanciful gun loops showed that the new castle was more for show than a real defensive castle. Rather than moving from the initial castle site, the Tolquhon castle we see today is the extension added to the initial tower built between 1584 and 1589.
Other Places To Visit Near Tolquhon Castle
Tarves Tomb
Sir William Forbes, the builder of the Tolquhon Castle, commissioned the Tarves Tomb for himself and his wife in an aisle added to Traves Kirk.
Two portrait statuettes depict the likeness of Forbes and his wife in an unusually realistic manner. Visitors will find the tomb still remarkably intact after five centuries.
Loanhead Stone Circle
The Loanhead Stone circle stands in the hills above Oldmeldrum and is a fine example of a recumbent stone circle. The circle comprises a ring of upright stones with a large stone slab laid sideways between two pillar stones.
Historians believe that the stones were part of an elaborate funerary ritual stretching back into Neolithic times.
Haddo House
The Gordons, the later Earls of Aberdeen, owned the Haddo house for 500 years. Covenanters burned down the original Gordon House and built the current home in 1732 in the George Palladian style of architecture.
Haddo houses an extensive art collection, including a Madonna believed to be painted by Raphael. Visitors may access Haddo House during weekdays, and it boasts a shop and tearoom.