Braemar Castle

Braemar Castle rises from the heather like something from a fairy tale, its pepper-pot turrets and crow-stepped gables perfectly silhouetted against the Cairngorm mountains. Built in 1628 by the Earl of Mar as a hunting lodge, it has witnessed some of the most turbulent events in Scottish history: burned by the Black Colonel of Inverey, garrisoned by Hanoverian troops after Culloden, and transformed over centuries from fortress to family home.

What makes Braemar Castle special today is its remarkable community story. After the Invercauld estate could no longer afford its upkeep, local residents formed a charitable trust and took on the castle's restoration and management. The result is a visit quite unlike any other Scottish castle—guided tours are led by passionate local volunteers who share not just the castle's history but its living connection to the community that saved it.

The castle's star-shaped curtain wall, added after the 1745 Jacobite rising, is unique in Scotland—a defensive feature borrowed from European military architecture. Inside, the rooms are furnished as they would have been in the 19th century, and treasures include the world's largest cairngorm crystal, found on nearby Beinn a' Bhuird. From the tower, views stretch across the Dee valley to the mountains beyond. Braemar Castle stands as both a monument to Highland history and a testament to community spirit.