Corgarff Castle

Corgarff Castle, set high in the hills of Aberdeenshire, is one of Scotland’s most distinctive fortifications thanks to its striking star‑shaped perimeter. Though it began as a 16th‑century tower house of the Forbes family, its story is shaped by conflict: burned during a clan feud, seized during the Jacobite risings, and later transformed into a government barracks. This unusual evolution gives the castle a character unlike any other in the region. Inside, the rooms are simple but atmospheric, reflecting the building’s later military life rather than aristocratic comfort. You can walk through the reconstructed barrack rooms, complete with iron bedsteads and sparse furnishings that evoke the daily routine of Redcoats stationed here to control movement through the Highlands. The kitchen and storerooms show how soldiers lived in isolation, relying on supplies hauled across remote terrain. One of the most interesting features is the star‑shaped outer wall, added in the 1740s to strengthen the site against attack. From the courtyard you can trace its sharp angles and imagine the disciplined drills once carried out within. Surrounded by sweeping moorland, Corgarff Castle offers a rare glimpse into Scotland’s military past, set against one of the country’s most dramatic landscapes.