Beaufort Castle

Beauly, United Kingdom

The present Beaufort castle is a Baronial style mansion built in 1880, but incorporates older building work. There has been a castle on the site since the 12th century. Beaufort is the traditional seat of the Lords Lovat. The earliest mention of the site, as Downie or Dounie Castle, occurs in the reign of Alexander I (1106–1124), when a siege took place. The original castle was built by the Byset family. The castle came into the hands of the Frasers in the late 13th century. English forces besieged the castle in 1303.

In the 1650s Dounie was attacked and burned by the forces of Oliver Cromwell during their invasion of Scotland. It was again razed by the Duke of Cumberland in Jacobite Rising of 1745, and the estate was declared forfeit. In 1815 the estate was inherited by Thomas Fraser of Strichen (1802–1875), who was reinstated to the Lordship of Lovat in 1854. In 1839 he commissioned William Burn to extend the house, and also improved the grounds and estate. His son Simon Fraser, 13th Lord Lovat (1828–1887), built the present Beaufort Castle, to designs by James Maitland Wardrop, incorporating part of the 18th-century house.

The Baronial mansion incorporates a private Roman Catholic chapel. The remains of Dounie Castle stand beside the house, and comprise a single wall, 11 metres long and 1.5 metres high.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Beauly, United Kingdom
See all sites in Beauly

Details

Founded: 1880
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Chloe Smith (14 months ago)
Wow, I can’t believe that people actually get to live in such stunning places. I explored some of the grounds as I was staying in one of their cottages for a holiday. Would recommend looking at their holiday cottages as this was a stunning part of Scotland to visit.
Gar Yos (17 months ago)
I don’t think this is a castle that you can visit.. but it’s beautiful nevertheless
Grant Cossar (18 months ago)
Beautiful castle and grounds
azzan alyarubi (2 years ago)
Stayed in a cottage near the castle and almost every day we enjoyed a walk to see it. Beautiful castle but it’s private and you can’t go inside. The gardens around are also beautiful.
Dave Grant (3 years ago)
Beaufort Castle is a beautiful building, and a lovely area to walk
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Roman Theatre

The Roman Theatre of Mérida is a construction promoted by the consul Vipsanius Agrippa in the Roman city of Emerita Augusta, capital of Lusitania (current Mérida). It was constructed in the years 16 to 15 BCE. One of the most famous and visited landmarks in Spain, the Roman Theatre of Mérida is regarded as a Spanish cultural icon and was chosen as one of the 12 Treasures of Spain.

The theatre has undergone several renovations, notably at the end of the 1st century or early 2nd century CE (possibly during the reign of Emperor Trajan), when the current facade of the scaenae frons was erected, and another in the time of Constantine I (between 330 and 340), which introduced new decorative-architectural elements and a walkway around the monument. Following the theatre"s abandonment in Late Antiquity, it was slowly covered with earth, with only the upper tiers of seats (summa cavea) remaining visible.