Drumtochty Castle Explained

Drumtochty Castle is a neo-gothic style castellated mansion erected in 1812 approximately three kilometres north-west of Auchenblae, Kincardineshire, Scotland.^{[1] [2]} This building stands on the southern edge of Drumtochty Forest.

It was built to the designs of James Gillespie Graham with further extensions c. 1815. Although the design for the extensions was again commissioned from Gillespie Graham, the work was undertaken by the Aberdeen City Architect John Smith. Miller speculates Gillespie Graham could have had a dispute with George Drummond, the owner, but considers Smith’s closer proximity to the site is a more plausible scenario.^[3] Gillespie Graham was involved with further additions c. 1839.

During the Second World War, Drumtochty Castle was bought by the Norwegian government-in-exile and used as a boarding school for Norwegian children who were refugees from the German occupation of Norway.^{[4] [5]}

On 1 May 1947, Robert and Elizabeth Langlands opened a boys’ preparatory school at the Castle, having bought Drumtochty from the Norwegian government.^[6] The school closed in 1971.^[7]

Historic Scotland included the castle on the list of category A listed buildings in August 1972.

School alumni

• Elspeth Barker (1940–2022), novelist and journalist.^[8] (One of five Langlands children)
• Ross Leckie (born 1957), writer.^[9]
• David MacLennan (1948–2014), actor, writer and producer.^[10]
• Allan Massie (born 1938), novelist, sports writer and journalist.^[11]
• Douglas Young (born 1948), solicitor.

References

56.9109°N -2.4947°W

Notes and References

1. http://www.drumtochtyhighlandgames.com/the_glen_road.htm Drumtochty Highland Games
2. United Kingdom Ordnance Survey Map Landranger 45, Stonehaven & Banchory, 1:50,000 scale
3. Book: Miller, David G.. Tudor Johnny: City Architect of Aberdeen: The Life and Works of John Smith 1781-1852. 2007. Librario. 978-1-904440-97-0. 56–58.
4. News: Begbie . Scott . How Drumtochty Castle became a safe haven and school for Norwegian children fleeing the Nazis . 4 May 2021 . Aberdeen Press and Journal . 30 April 2021.
5. http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/ostfold/1.7121530 NRK "Da norske barn var flyktninger (When Norwegian children were refugees)" (Norwegian)
6. News: Robert Langlands . . 6 June 2000 . 15 . On the last day of 1946 Robert went to London where he bought, from the Norwegian government, Drumtochty Castle in Kincardineshire, which they opened, on 1 May 1947, as a preparatory school for boys. At a time when most preparatory schools were grim or forbidding, Robert and Elizabeth created something with a character all its own. It was essentially a family school - an expression often used, but fully justified in this case. Indeed, their own five children were all pupils there. .
7. News: Elizabeth Langlands . The Scotsman . 26 November 2002 . 16 . 11 November 2014.
8. News: Riley, Alasdair. I was an overeducated freak'; Elspeth Barker; A Childhood . . 26 September 1992 . He bought Drumtochty Castle, on the eastern foothills of the Grampian mountains, from King Haakon of Norway, who had used it to house refugee countrymen fleeing across the North Sea from the Germans. "I was six at the time the youngest person there entirely surrounded by boys. There were 30 or 40 pupils to begin with all dressed in haphazard clothes before a uniform was introduced rising to more than 100. .
9. News: A classic tale of two cities; Saturday interview: Ross Leckie When Hollywood called, the Edinburgh fund management spinmeister was lost for words . . 23 August 2003 . 21 . 14 November 2014 . Fact File 1957: Born in Irvine, Ayrshire. Education: Drumtochty Castle Preparatory School, Kincardineshire; Fettes College, Edinburgh; Corpus Christi College, Oxford University; Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.
10. News: David MacLennan . . 15 June 2014 . 2 April 2016.
11. Web site: Allan Massie . . 2014 . 11 November 2014.