Inchdrewer Castle, Aberdeenshire
Photo © Richard Paxman, 9 July 2007
Inchdrewer Castle, Aberdeenshire
Photo © Richard Paxman,
9 July 2007
Inchdrewer Castle stands on high ground looking out over Banff to the North Sea. It is a fine house, now fallen on sad days. Like most Scottish castles, it has seen its share of incidents. Lord Banff was murdered here by his own servants, who in an attempt to hide their crime, set fire to the castle. It remained a ruin for a long time but has undergone some half-hearted restoration.
INCHDREWER CASTLE, BANFFSHIRE.
A castle of the Ogilvies, situated on high ground about three miles south of Banff. In the middle of the sixteenth century the estate was acquired from the Curror family by Sir Walter Ogilvie of Dunlugas, or his son Sir George. Both Sir Walter and Sir George availed themselves of the troubled times of the Reformation to add to their possessions. Sir George, in 1557, also acquired the Boyne estate, and, as we have seen, he probably built the castle of Boyne. It is not unlikely that Inchdrewer was also to a large extent remodelled and enlarged by him.
One of his successors was created Lord Banff in 1642, and made Inchdrewer his chief residence. In 1713 the castle was destroyed by fire, and the then Lord Banff perished in the flames.
The castle now belongs to Sir R. J. Abercromby of Birkenbog, a descendant of Lord Banff.
Inchdrewer Castle consisted originally of the L-shaped tower with thick walls on the east side of the courtyard, the entrance door being in the re-entering angle, and the staircase to the first floor in the west wing. On the first floor the hall would occupy the main building, and the staircase and landing the wing. From the landing a small newel staircase in the angle, partly corbelled out, led as usual to the upper floors. This staircase still exists. In the latter half of the sixteenth century the whole castle has been remodelled and greatly enlarged. The door of the old tower was then altered to the west, so as to front the courtyard; the old staircase being removed and a new staircase erected in a round tower built to the south. The hall was enlarged by throwing the west wing into it; the central wall being removed and the upper portion carried on an inserted arch, which still exists. At the same time a long range of buildings was erected on the south side of the courtyard, and another range on the north side. Probably the west side was occupied with the principal entrance gateway. The small doorway in the north wall may have led to the gardens, etc. The south range contains a kitchen on the ground floor, and the remainder is so ruinous that the apartments are indistinguishable. There is an outer stair at the east end leading to an upper-floor over the kitchen, which probably contained the private dining-room and drawing-room, bedrooms, etc.
The projecting tower at the south-west angle of the courtyard has shot-holes, each provided with three openings, similar to those at Tolquhaii and elsewhere. There was probably a similar tower at the north-west angle of the courtyard. The wing filling up the south-east angle seems to have been added at a later period in order to give additional accommodation.
The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland by David Macgibbon and Thomas Ross, 1889