Building record MAB31816 - AIRLIE CASTLE

Remains of castle, and later mansion house, with a walled garden and stables.

Remains of castle, and later mansion house, with a walled garden and stables. Airlie Castle was built in circa 1432, and occupies a small promontory at the junction of the Isla and Melgund rivers, and it was sacked in 1640. A deep ditch, 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 metres) wide, was cut across the base of the promontory, and on the inner side of this is the East wall of the enceinte, circa 120 feet (37 metres) long, 10 feet (3 metres) thick and 35 feet (11 metres) high. Towards the North end of it is a portcullis gateway, with a lofty tower upon corbels above it. The upper portion of the tower and staircase turret are of much later construction than the wall. Nothing remains of the return wall at the Southern end. The modern mansion seems to occupy the position of the North wall of the enceinte, some portions of which still exist toward the West end incorporated in the modern masonry. The remains of the enceinte wall are all that survive of the original Airlie Castle. The present mansion was built in circa 1792-3, and may incorporate portions of earlier castles. It is oriented North-West/South-East, and is built adjoining the tower of the enceinte wall at a perpendicular angle, creating an L-plan. It is a three-storey and raised basement mansion house. The main Eastern section of the mansion is eight-bays, with a central doorway in the South-West facing elevation, with an imperial staircase leading to it over a raised basement. There is a round-headed fanlight with Y-tracery above the doorway, and two narrow eight-pane flanking windows. The ground and first floors have symmetrical fenestration, with square-headed windows, which are larger on the ground floor. The raised basement has round-headed windows with Y-tracery to the upper portions. There are four gabled dormers with alternating lily and cross finials. There are ridge and end stacks. To the West of the main section is an adjacent seven-bay, single-storey wing, with symmetrical square-headed 12-pane windows, and a central glazed door. There is a balustraded wallhead above the doorway and flanking window on each side, with a ball finial at each end. This wing is slightly recessed from the main eight-bay mansion, and links onto a two-storey house to the West. The two-storey house has three bays. On the South-facing elevation there is a recessed doorway in the East with flanking windows, and an entrance within a small gabled porch to the West. On the first floor there are three symmetrical windows. It has a gabled slate roof and corniced end stacks. Modern landscaping has destroyed any trace of the original ditch or moat. The castle is the residence of the dowager Countess of Airlie. To the South-East are 19th century stables (NO25SE0015). There is also a large walled garden between the stables and the mansion house that is visible on the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps. A stone dated 1660, and originally from Crandart Castle, was moved to here (NO16NE0001).The castle sits within a designed landscape (NO25SE0041).

Period Notes
Castle built in circa 1432, and sacked in 1640. The mansion was built in 1792-3, incorporating earlier elements. The stables were built in the 19th century. Castle and stables listed on 11/06/1971.

A/28365/CS, A/28365/CS (Photograph). SAB25264.

A/28366/CS, A/28366/CS (Photograph). SAB25265.

A/28367/CS, A/28367/CS (Photograph). SAB25266.

A/28368/CS, A/28368/CS (Photograph). SAB25280.

AN/5553, AN/5553 (Photograph). SAB25281.

AN/5554, AN/5554 (Photograph). SAB25282.

AN/5555, AN/5555 (Photograph). SAB25283.

AN/5556, AN/5556 (Photograph). SAB25284.

AN/5557, AN/5557 (Photograph). SAB25285.

Warden, A J, 1880-5, [Untitled], Vol.2, 328 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10024.

MacGibbon and Ross, D and T, 1896-7, [Untitled], Vol.5, 216-8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6072.

TRNATER, N, 1962, FORTIFIED HOUSE IN SCOTLAND VOL4-ABERDEENSHIRE, 94-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1917.

Thomasson, K (ed.), 1963, [Untitled], 8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10467.

Jul 28 1999 , AAS/99/08/CT11-13, AAS/99/08/CT11-13 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB29319.

Jul 28 1999 , AAS/99/08/G8/22-4, AAS/99/08/G8/22-4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB29318.

Record last edited

Feb 9 2021 4:36PM