What is recorded here

Crathes Castle Policies holds post-medieval ice-houses, structures built between 1561 and 1899 to capture winter cold for summer use. They stand within the castle grounds in Aberdeenshire, where servants likely hauled heavy blocks of ice from nearby water into dark chambers. The practice reveals how households preserved food before mechanical refrigeration, turning seasonal frost into a reliable resource.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Crathes Castle Policies as Clearance Cairn (period Unassigned). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 1m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.