Midmar Castle: A Sixteenth-Century Scottish Castle
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- British, Kingdom of Scotland
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Castle
On this page9 sections
History
Midmar Castle is a sixteenth-century lowland castle in the United Kingdom, standing in Aberdeenshire. Built between 1565 and 1575 for George Gordon of Midmar and Abergeldie, it occupies the site of an earlier fortified tower and was designed by the master mason and architect George Bell.
Destruction and rebuilding in the sixteenth century
A medieval stone watchtower, or tower house, previously stood on the site. Such towers served as fortified residences for Scottish nobles and landowners. The earlier building was destroyed in 1562 during Mary Stuart’s punitive expedition against George Gordon, Earl of Huntly. Mary Stuart, also known as Mary, Queen of Scots, was Scotland’s monarch during this period. The campaign culminated in the Battle of Corrichie, an armed conflict in the political struggles of sixteenth-century Scotland, in which George Gordon of Midmar and Abergeldie also fought.
George Gordon recovered his hereditary lands in 1565 and then commissioned George Bell to construct the present castle. Midmar was attacked and plundered after the Battle of Glenlivet in 1594, another armed conflict in Scotland’s turbulent sixteenth-century political and dynastic history.
Eighteenth-century transformation
Alexander Grant purchased Midmar in 1728 and renamed it Grantsfield Castle. From 1730, the complex underwent extensive alterations both inside and out. Most of the interiors that survive today date from this period, giving the castle’s present character a strong eighteenth-century influence.
Repair, restoration, and protection
Repairs were undertaken in 1840. The castle remained uninhabited from 1842 until 1977, while its owners continued to maintain the building and its eighteenth-century interiors. Full restoration began in 1977, after which Midmar Castle became a private residence. In July 2011, it was sold to Tom Cross, the former chief executive of Dana Petroleum, for £2.8 million.
Midmar Castle is a Category A listed historic building, the highest level of statutory protection in Scotland for a building of special architectural or historic interest. Its walled garden and eighteenth-century sundial also have Category A status.
Remains
The surviving complex is a stone-and-brick sixteenth-century lowland castle with rendered or plastered surfaces. The building stands on the site of the earlier tower house, while much of its present interior reflects the extensive changes made from 1730. These alterations reshaped both the inside and outside of the complex.
Castle structure
Midmar Castle retains the character of a fortified residence built during the later sixteenth century. Its masonry construction combines stone and brick, and the building is rendered or plastered. The surviving rooms and finishes largely belong to the eighteenth-century remodelling, which remains the principal architectural layer visible within the castle.
Garden and historic features
Walled garden
A walled garden associated with the castle dates from the sixteenth or seventeenth century. Its walls include bee boles, sheltered recesses traditionally designed to hold beehives. The garden forms part of the historic complex and preserves evidence of the domestic and productive setting connected with the castle.
Sundial
An eighteenth-century sundial is another associated historic feature of Midmar Castle. It survives as part of the castle’s wider group of protected structures and features.
