Fyvie Castle
Fyvie Castle is the jewel of the northeast, an imposing 800 year old fortress which tells a fascinating story of Ghosts, legends and folklore.
The earliest parts of Fyvie Castle date from the 13th century with some sources claiming it was built in 1211 by William the Lion. Before this Fyvie was the site of an open-air court held by Robert the Bruce, and Charles I (son of James VI) lived here as a child before becoming king of Scotland, England and Ireland.
Following the Battle of Otterburn in 1390, it ceased to be a royal stronghold and instead fell into the possession of five successive families – Preston, Meldrum, Seton, Gordon and Leith. Tradition claims that each created one of the five towers and although this is technically not true many additions create the impression of an ever evolving home.
Manus O’Cahan and Montrose fought a successful minor battle against the Covenant Army at Fyvie Castle on 28 October 1644. Anne Halkett stayed at the castle from 1650 to 1652 where she treated wounded soldiers and the illnesses of local people.
Inside, Fyvie is an excellent example of Scottish Baronial architecture. Inside, the rooms are filled with antiquities, armour and one of the largest private collections of Raeburn portraits in the world. Out in the grounds the grandeur continues, with a picturesque loch and an unusual glass-roofed racquets court.
Following Victorian trends, the grounds and adjoining Loch Fyvie were landscaped in the 19th century. The Scottish industrialist Alexander Leith (later Baron Leith of Fyvie) bought the castle in 1885. Because of death duties, Fyvie was sold to the National Trust for Scotland in 1984.
Art lovers will appreciate the extensive collection including works by Raeburn, Batoni, Romney, Gainsborough, Opie, Lawrence and Hoppner hanging on the castle walls. There’s an equally impressive collection of fine furniture, tapestries, arms and armour waiting to be admired.
Within the grounds is a fantastic 18th-century walled garden that has been redeveloped as a garden of sustainable Scottish fruit and vegetables. Fyvie Loch / Loch of Fyvie is a Victorian landscaped feature which supports large numbers of birds including Ospreys, swans, coots, mallards and moorhens. In the winter the greylag geese, tufted ducks and goldeneyes visit on their migration south.
