Tolquhon Castle

Tolquhon Castle stands in rural Aberdeenshire, near the village of Tarves, its ruined ranges gathered around a central courtyard. The oldest part, known as Preston’s Tower, dates to the early fifteenth century and takes its name from the Preston family, whose lands passed to the Forbes line in 1420. Most of what survives, however, was raised between 1584 and 1589 by William Forbes, seventh laird of Tolquhon, who extended the old tower into a comfortable Renaissance mansion. An inscription on the gatehouse records that all the work except the old tower was begun in April 1584. The design is credited to the mason-architect Thomas Leiper, and the result has been described as among the most characteristic chateaux of the Scots Renaissance, built for show rather than defence, though triple shot-holes still flank the ornamented entrance. Ranges around the court held a first-floor gallery, a main hall, and a prison set in one tower, with an outer walled yard and dovecote to the north. The Forbes family held Tolquhon until 1718, when losses tied to the ill-fated Darien venture forced its sale to the Farquharsons, after which the house slowly fell to ruin. It is now cared for by Historic Environment Scotland and open to visitors.