Inchdrewer Castle, Banff, United Kingdom

Inchdrewer Castle is a 16th-century tower house in the parish of Banff. Originally owned by the Currour family, it was purchased by the Ogilvies of Dunlugas in 1557 and became their main family seat. The Ogilvies were staunch Royalists, which resulted in the castle coming under attack from the Covenanters in 1640.

George Ogilvy, 3rd Lord Banff was murdered in 1713 and his body hidden inside the castle, which was then set on fire. The castle came under siege again in 1746, during the Jacobite rebellion. At the start of the 19th century, following the death of the 8th Lord Banff, the property was inherited by the Abercromby of Birkenbog family, who leased it to a tenant. It became uninhabited after 1836 and the structure deteriorated.

Over the following century the neglect continued until some basic external renovation work was undertaken between 1965 and 1971, making the structure wind and water tight, although it remained unoccupied. The castle was again abandoned and left unmaintained. The condition of the building further declined, becoming derelict. It was in a ruinous state when marketed for sale in April 2013 after the death of Count Robin Mirrlees, who had owned it for about fifty years. At the end of that year it was purchased by the former model Olga Roh, who said she intended to restore it. Modern day reports suggest that the spirit of the 3rd Lord Banff and that of a white dog haunt the castle.

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Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Carley Brock (7 months ago)
It was a great walk to a beautiful castle! Although it does look like someone has been working on it, so please be mindful and respectful! It’s a lovely walk and a very nice castle!

HistoryNeedsYou (12 months ago)
Marooned by the tides of time and cast adrift in farmland, Inchdrewer stands alone. A decent sized tower but the outworks are ruins. The castle is accessed by a very wet track so bring wellies for your visit. Wheelchair access would be challenging

Eddy Stuifzand (2 years ago)
Nice ruin in the middle of the fields of Banff. I drove there after work and it was a small walk through the field to get to the ruin. I had beautiful weather to get there. With rain it can be a different path to walk I reckon.

Igor Smy (4 years ago)
Partially Ruined. It's not tourist Spot. Long walk from road. If you interested in history yes, if you want to have a nice walk for fun, better to choose any other castles around Aberdeenshire.

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Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

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