📍 Photo via Google Maps

Braemar Castle

📍 Aberdeenshire, Scotland

4.1 ★★★★ 780 reviews

About

Braemar Castle is situated near the village of Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a possession of the chief of Clan Farquharson and is leased to a local charitable foundation. It is open to the public.

Built in 1628 by John Erskine, Earl of Mar, as a hunting lodge to counter the rising Farquharsons. Burned by the Black Colonel of Inverey during the 1689 Jacobite rising. After the 1745 uprising, Hanoverian troops garrisoned here, leaving 18th-century graffiti still visible in the dining room. Now owned by Clan Farquharson and run by local volunteers.

Getting There

🚗 Drive via A93

From Aberdeen: 58 miles (1h 20min) via A93 through Royal Deeside. From Perth: 1h 30min via A93.

🚌 Stagecoach 201

Aberdeen–Braemar service, several per day. Alight in Braemar village, castle is a 10 min walk east on A93.

🅿️ Roadside Parking

Small car park at the castle entrance. Free. Limited spaces — walk from village if full.

Terrain & Accessibility

♿ Limited Access🏛️ Spiral Stairs🌄 Highland Setting

A compact tower house with narrow spiral staircases — not wheelchair accessible inside. The grounds are flat and grassy. Community-owned and volunteer-run; check opening times as they vary seasonally. Near Balmoral and the Cairngorms.