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Crathes Castle

📍 Aberdeenshire, Scotland

4.4 ★★★★½ 3,200 reviews

About

Crathes Castle is a castle built in the 16th century, near Banchory in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is in the historic county of Kincardineshire. This harled castle was built by the Burnetts of Leys and was owned by the family for almost 400 years. The castle and its grounds are currently owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland and are open to the public.

Getting There

🚗 Drive via A93

From Aberdeen: 15 miles (25 min) via A93 Deeside road. Well signed from Banchory.

🚌 Stagecoach 201

Aberdeen–Braemar service stops at Crathes. Frequent Mon–Sat.

🅿️ NTS Car Park

Free for National Trust for Scotland members. £3 for non-members. Large car park at the entrance.

🚲 Deeside Way

The Deeside Way cycle/walking path passes the castle grounds. Bike racks available.

Terrain & Accessibility

♿ Garden Accessible🌳 Walled Gardens🏛️ Stairs in Castle👶 Adventure Playground

The famous walled gardens and grounds are largely accessible with some gravel paths. The castle interior has stairs with no lift — ground floor accessible only. The painted ceilings (Nine Nobles, Nine Muses) are on upper floors. NTS property with excellent visitor facilities, café, and adventure playground.