Craigievar Castle closure – autumn 2022 to spring 2024

However, there is plenty of time still to explore the castle this summer before the scaffolding goes up and our collections are carefully ‘put to bed’. With impressive collections of art, armour and weaponry in a unique setting, Craigievar makes a wonderful day out.

Plan your visit

William Forbes purchased Craigievar in 1610 and extensively remodelled it in the Renaissance style. In 1824, Sir John Forbes instructed architect John Smith to make a report on the building. Smith recommended a change from the existing off-white harling to a pale pink, in order to match the colour of the Aberdeenshire granite mouldings.

Harling is the traditional Scottish protective layer applied to buildings. It is made up from a mix of lime, aggregate and water, and is applied by hand. Our conservation works will reinvigorate the pink tones of Craigievar’s walls with multiple coats of a ‘special recipe’ of limewash. We will also repair some of the high-level areas of harling. In addition, maintenance to interior plasterwork, conservation of the barmkin wall and further repair projects will be carried out during the closure of the castle.

Annie continues: ‘The free-standing scaffold [it will not be fixed to the building, thus preventing damage to the stonework] will take 3 months to erect but it will allow expert teams to maintain the harling and carry out discreet adaptions to details, to better protect the vulnerable edges of the harling. This will help to future-proof the building against the effects of climate change.’

The target date for completing these critical repairs and re-opening the castle is spring 2024. We will regularly update on the progress of the project as well as offer behind-the-scenes insights into the painstaking conservation work. Look out for special hard hat tours during the works, too!