Originally
part of the Earldom of Mar, James IV annexed the estates in 1435 and granted the
‘Foresta de Corgarf’ to Alexander Elphinstone.
In 1571 the castle was set
alight, killing Margaret Forbes and 24 others. The Erskines of mar regained control in
1626. Montrose occupied the building in 1645. The Jacobites burned it in 1689; the
Hanoverians in 1716. It was then granted tot he Forbes but in 1748 it was taken over by
the Government and converted into a military barracks. The tower was repaired, pavilions
added, and the star-shaped curtain-wall erected. Inside its cobbled courtyard is the round
cistern. In 1750 40 privateers, three corporals, two sergeants and a lieutenant occupied
the building. It was abandoned by the troops in 1831.
The external stair leads to
the first floor where the curator often has a peat fire burning. A wooden stair replaces
the stone turnpike, leading to the second floor, which has been restored as a military
dormitory, with beds, eating area, and restored ceiling graffiti! The upper floors are
bare, apart from wall displays, and are sometimes used for exhibitions. The garret is
adorned with a Flagstaff.
The ground floor of the tower
is vaulted. The west pavilion houses a whisky still, as the castle acted as a distillery
and shooting lodge for a time. By the 1900s the building was ruinous. In 1961 Sir Edmund
and Lady Stockdale of Delnadamph passed it into care. |
