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. The clearance cairn marks a landscape shaped by human hands, where ice was harvested and stored beneath Aberdeenshire skies. These chambers served Crathes Castle, preserving food and drink through heat by trapping frost in stone. The policies remain a quiet testament to ingenuity, where ordinary ice became treasure through patience and design.

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.