Leslie Castle
Leslie Castle
Leslie Castle (1989)
TypeCastle
LocationLeslie, Aberdeenshire
Coordinates57°18′45″N 2°39′59″W / 57.3125°N 2.666389°W / 57.3125; -2.666389
BuiltAround 1661
Built forWilliam Forbes of Monymusk
Restored1989
Current useOperates as a Guesthouse
Former Listed Building – Category B
Official nameLESLIE CASTLE
Designated24 November 1972
Delisted4 September 1989
Reference no.LB9239
Leslie Castle is located in Aberdeenshire
Leslie Castle
Location of Leslie Castle in Aberdeenshire
Living History
Leslie Castle

Leslie Castle is a castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the historical seat of Clan Leslie, located just to the west of Auchleven, or about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northwest of Aberdeen.

History

It was an L-plan castle and featured a unique staircase in the square tower which made use of lamps in a central column with openings into the stairwell itself for illumination. The lamps could be raised and lowered by a chain.[1] The castle was three storeys with a garret.[2] The basement was vaulted, and it also had a drawbridge with gatehouse.[3]

It was built for William Forbes of Monymusk on the site of a former castle (probably a wooden motte and bailey) around 1661[4][1][5][6] as "the last fortified house in Scotland".[7] There is an inscription on the wall dated 17 June 1661.[8][9]

Following the death of Forbes in 1670 it fell into the possession of Leiths of Leith Hall.[2]

By 1820 the last resident of the castle, Captain Stewart, had died and the castle itself had lost its roof and became a ruin.[8][5]

20th and 21st century

It became a category B listed building on 24 November 1972, when it was recorded it was ruinous, the interior filled with debris, and the floors gone.[2]

In 1980, the castle and estate were purchased for about $25,000 and restored by the City of Aberdeen architect David Carnegie Leslie at a cost of about $1 million. The castle's walls had collapsed and there were piles of rubble up to 8 feet (2.4 m) high, and tons of carved stone had been stolen over the years. A full-sized tree had also grown inside a collapsed parapet. The castle was restored using stone from 300-year-old cottages on a neighbouring estate that had also collapsed.[10] In July 1989, it was opened as a hotel with five bedrooms.[11] It was delisted in September 1989.[2]

In 1995, a Leslie Clan Gathering was held at Leslie Castle.[5]

In 2016 the castle opened again as Leslie Castle B&B and was listed for sale in 2017 when it was described by The Scotsman as a "fairytale castle" with 1.9 acres of land. The original kitchen was being used as a breakfast room with a large fire place, the second and third floor were the guest bedrooms, whilst the owner's rooms were on the fourth floor.[12]

Since 2018, the castle has been operating as a guesthouse run by John Andrea, but is also available for exclusive hire for events.[5][13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Leslie Castles". Clan Leslie Society International.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "LESLIE CASTLE (LB9239)". Historic Environment Scotland.
  3. ↑ "Aberdeenshire Council Historic Environment Record – Aberdeenshire – NJ52SE0001 – LESLIE CASTLE". online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk.
  4. ↑ "Recording Your Heritage Online | Canmore". canmore.org.uk.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "A Brief History of Leslie Castle". leslie-castle.com.
  6. ↑ Somerset Fry, Plantagenet (2008). Castles : England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland : the definitive guide to the most impressive buildings and intriguing sites. Newton Abbot [England]: David & Charles. p. 154. ISBN 9780715326923.
  7. ↑ Devine, T. M. (2012). The Scottish Nation: A Modern History. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0718193201.
  8. 1 2 Forbes, Bart (15 June 2020). "Clan Feud: Leslie". ClanForbesSociety.
  9. ↑ "Leslie Castle Foundation in 1661". leslie-castle.com. 5 December 2018.
  10. ↑ "The Man Who Saved Leslie Castle". leslie-castle.com. 29 May 2019.
  11. ↑ Prial, Frank J. (4 November 1990). "Staying with a Baron At a Scottish Castle". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  12. ↑ "Fairytale castle for sale in Aberdeenshire". www.scotsman.com. 29 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Digital training boosted bookings at Leslie Castle". leslie-castle.com. 4 September 2019.

Further reading

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