What is recorded here

Crathes Castle is a 16th-century tower house in Aberdeenshire that the Burnett family owned for nearly four centuries before giving it to the National Trust for Scotland in 1951. Alexander Burnett completed the main structure in 1596 after political trouble delayed the work, while later owners changed the interiors to suit their own pride. A fire in 1966 damaged the Queen Anne wing, forcing the family to leave part of the house and rebuild only what the evidence supported. The castle still keeps its painted Jacobean ceilings, including the Chamber of the Muses and the Green Lady's Room, where the rooms sound like they are still arranging themselves for a visit.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Crathes Castle as Country House (16th Century), Pavilion (period Unassigned), Tower House (medieval), Well (period Unassigned)(possible). 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.

Crathes Castle was built by the Gordon family in the late 16th century and is remembered as a well-preserved example of a Scottish Renaissance country house. It is important for its historical association with the powerful Gordon earls and its architectural significance.

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