Corgarff Castle

About the museum

Corgarff Castle stands in remote Strathdon, at the edge of the Cairngorms National Park, and its story falls into two parts. The tower was built in the mid-sixteenth century as the fortified home of the Forbes family of Corgarff and was abandoned in the 1600s. In 1571 it was the scene of a deadly attack: Adam Gordon besieged the castle and set it on fire, and 27 people died, among them the wife of the Forbes laird, an event that may lie behind the old ballad Edom o Gordon. Jacobite supporters burned the castle in 1689 and 1690 so that government troops could not use it.

The second part began after the Battle of Culloden. In 1746 the government turned the tower into a barracks, gutting its interior and adding two single-storey pavilions and the distinctive star-shaped perimeter wall with musket loops. For 95 years Redcoat soldiers were stationed here, first hunting down Jacobite sympathisers and later helping excise officers to stop the illegal production and smuggling of whisky. The army left in 1831. A small legal distillery operated at Corgarff in the 1820s, and a whisky still from that period is displayed in one of the pavilions.

Today the castle is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. Inside, visitors can see reconstructed barrack rooms showing how Redcoats lived around 1750, a distilling room, an officer's apartment and a reconstructed kitchen, as well as a visitor centre on the first floor.

Highlights

• Star-shaped perimeter wall with musket loops
• Reconstructed barrack rooms of the 1750s Redcoat garrison
• Distilling room with a whisky still from the 1820s
• Remote setting at the edge of the Cairngorms National Park

Permanent exhibitions

• Reconstructed barrack rooms – Rooms fitted out to show what life was like for Redcoat soldiers stationed at the castle around 1750.
• Distilling room and whisky still – A small whisky still from the 1820s, when a legal distillery briefly operated at the castle.
• Officer's apartment and kitchen – Reconstructed living quarters of the commanding officer and the castle kitchen on the first floor.

Operated by

Historic Environment Scotland

Admission & discounts

Prices shown are the online advance prices for adult (16 to 64), concession and child; the prices on the day are adult £8.50, concession £6.80 and child £4. Historic Scotland members enter free. Explorer Pass holders, Young Scot card holders and members of partner heritage organisations have their own ticket options.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The castle is 350 metres from the car park along a loose gravel path up a hill with a gradient of 1:5, through a 75 cm wide kissing gate. The visitor centre on the first floor is reached by 12 stone steps with a handrail, and an induction loop is at the counter. Upper floors are reached by stairs with handrails. Visitors can be dropped off at the castle entrance by arrangement (phone the castle). There are no toilets at the castle; the nearest adapted toilet is at the Spar shop in Bellabeg, Strathdon. Assistance dogs are allowed in roofed areas.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The castle is 8 miles west of Strathdon on the A939.

Amenities & dining

There are no toilet facilities at the castle.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit