Leslie Castle Explained

Leslie Castle
Coordinates:57.3125°N -2.6664°W
Type:Castle
Location:Leslie, Aberdeenshire
Built:Around 1661
Built For:William Forbes of Monymusk
Restored:1989
Current Use:Operates as a Guesthouse
Designation1:Category B Listed Building
Designation1 Offname:LESLIE CASTLE
Designation1 Date:24 November 1972
Delisted1 Date:4 September 1989

Leslie Castle is a castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the historical seat of Clan Leslie, located just to the west of Auchleven, or about northwest of Aberdeen.

History

It was an L-plan castle and featured a unique staircase in the square tower which made use of lamps in a central column with openings into the stairwell itself for illumination. The lamps could be raised and lowered by a chain. The castle was three storeys with a garret. The basement was vaulted, and it also had a drawbridge with gatehouse.[1]

It was built for William Forbes of Monymusk on the site of a former castle (probably a wooden motte and bailey) around 1661[2] [3] [4] [5] as "the last fortified house in Scotland".[6] There is an inscription on the wall dated 17 June 1661.[7] [8]

Following the death of Forbes in 1670 it fell into the possession of Leiths of Leith Hall.

By 1820 the last resident of the castle, Captain Stewart, had died and the castle itself had lost its roof and became a ruin.

20th and 21st century

It became a category B listed building on 24 November 1972, when it was recorded it was ruinous, the interior filled with debris, and the floors gone.[9]

In 1980, the castle and estate were purchased for about $25,000 and restored by the City of Aberdeen architect David Carnegie Leslie at a cost of about $1 million. The castle's walls had collapsed and there were piles of rubble up to 8feet high, and tons of carved stone had been stolen over the years. A full-sized tree had also grown inside a collapsed parapet. The castle was restored using stone from 300-year-old cottages on a neighbouring estate that had also collapsed.[10] In July 1989, it was opened as a hotel with five bedrooms.[11] It was delisted in September 1989.

In 1995, a Leslie Clan Gathering was held at Leslie Castle.

In 2016 the castle opened again as Leslie Castle B&B and was listed for sale in 2017 when it was described by The Scotsman as a "fairytale castle" with 1.9 acres of land. The original kitchen was being used as a breakfast room with a large fire place, the second and third floor were the guest bedrooms, whilst the owner's rooms were on the fourth floor.[12]

Since 2018, the castle has been operating as a guesthouse run by John Andrea, but is also available for exclusive hire for events.[13]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Aberdeenshire Council Historic Environment Record – LESLIE CASTLE. NJ52SE0001 . Aberdeenshire Council . 11 March 2024.
  2. Web site: Recording Your Heritage Online | Canmore. canmore.org.uk.
  3. Web site: Leslie Castles . Clan Leslie Society International . 10 March 2024.
  4. Web site: A Brief History of Leslie Castle. leslie-castle.com.
  5. Book: Somerset Fry . Plantagenet . Castles : England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland : the definitive guide to the most impressive buildings and intriguing sites . 2008 . David & Charles . Newton Abbot [England] . 9780715326923 . 154.
  6. Book: Devine . T. M. . Tom Devine . The Scottish Nation: A Modern History . 2012 . Penguin . London . 978-0718193201 .
  7. Web site: Clan Feud: Leslie. Bart. Forbes. 15 June 2020. ClanForbesSociety.
  8. Web site: Leslie Castle Foundation in 1661. 5 December 2018. leslie-castle.com.
  9. Web site: LESLIE CASTLE (LB9239). Historic Environment Scotland.
  10. Web site: The Man Who Saved Leslie Castle. 29 May 2019. leslie-castle.com.
  11. News: Prial . Frank J. . Staying with a Baron At a Scottish Castle . 26 March 2019 . The New York Times . 4 November 1990.
  12. Web site: Fairytale castle for sale in Aberdeenshire. 29 August 2017. www.scotsman.com.
  13. Web site: Digital training boosted bookings at Leslie Castle. 4 September 2019. leslie-castle.com.