Castles · Scottish Highlands
Corgarff Castle
In or near Strathdon.
Corgarff Castle — castle and military museum in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
Corgarff Castle is located in the Scottish Highlands, with the postcode AB36 8YP. Entry is paid, and wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Corgarff Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Managed by Historic Environment Scotland. Wikidata describes it as: "castle and military museum in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 57.1628°, -3.2342°.
Photo gallery
360° viewimagery from 2025
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Heritage listing
Corgarff Castle is located slightly west of the village of Corgarff, in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. It stands by the Lecht road, which crosses the pass between Strathdon and Tomintoul.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
From Historic Environment Scotland
Get a brief overview of the history of Corgarff Castle, a noble residence turned army base for capturing Jacobite sympathisers and whisky smugglers. Contact us today for more information.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
Corgarff Castle is located slightly west of the village of Corgarff, in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. It stands by the Lecht road, which crosses the pass between Strathdon and Tomintoul.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The castle was built around 1530 by the Elphinstone family and leased to the Forbes of Towie. In 1571, it was burned by their enemy, Adam Gordon of Auchindoun, resulting in the deaths of Margaret Campbell, Lady Forbes, her children, and numerous others, 26 in total, and probably giving rise to the ballad Edom o Gordon. In May 1607, the castle was captured from Alexander, 4th Lord Elphinstone by Alexander Forbes of Towie and his companions, including a piper called George McRobie. They used hammers and battering rams to break down the gate, then fortified the house with a garrison of "Highland thieves and limmers". In 1626, it was acquired by the Earl of Mar. In 1645, it was used as an…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 57.1628, -3.2342
- District
- Aberdeenshire
- Postcode
- AB36 8YP
- Parliamentary constituency
- West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
- Official site
- www.historicenvironment.scot
Sources
- wikidata: Q2157892 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Corgarff Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Corgarff Castle 13.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Càrn Oighreag
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Galleries · 2.4 km
Corgarff War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 2.4 km
Nearby
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Where to eat & stay near Corgarff Castle
Places to stay
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📷 5Hostels · Scottish Highlands
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Corgarff Castle?
- Corgarff Castle is in the Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (postcode AB36 8YP).
- What is Corgarff Castle?
- Corgarff Castle — castle and military museum in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK.
- How do I get to Corgarff Castle?
- Drivers can use postcode AB36 8YP.
- Who runs Corgarff Castle?
- Corgarff Castle is operated by Historic Environment Scotland.
- Is Corgarff Castle a listed building?
- Corgarff Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Does Corgarff Castle charge admission?
- Corgarff Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Corgarff Castle?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode AB36 8YP. It sits within the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine parliamentary constituency.