Castle Fraser is a large Z-plan castle near Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is considered one of the most elaborate examples of its type and one of the grandest of the 'Castles of Mar'. The castle stands in over 300 acres (1.2 km2) of landscaped grounds, woodland and farmland, including a 19th-century walled kitchen garden.
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2.8 km
Cluny Castle was originally built c.1604 as a Z-plan castle replacing either a house or small peel tower. Sited in the parish of Cluny, it is south of Monymusk and north of Sauchen in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. Owned by the Gordon baronets of Cluny and three separate branches of the family over the centuries, it was used to shelter Jacobite rebels in the mid-18th century. Extensive additions were made in 1820 to the design of architect John Smith when it was in the ownership of Colonel John Gordon. The private chapel, once completed in 1870, was described by the British press as "one of the first and most beautiful oratories in the kingdom". Two wings of the castle and the adjoining private chapel were destroyed by fire in 1926, but the damage was mostly restored.
It is a Category A listed building and has been used as a film setting. The grounds are included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland and are described as 'Outstanding' in their Artistic and Historical Interest by Historic Scotland.
As of 2025 it remains privately owned by Cosmo Linzee Gordon of Cluny who has employed craftsmen to complete extensive renovations. It is not open to the public but corporate events are hosted there and weddings are held in the chapel.
2.9 km
Sauchen is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that lies 3 miles west of Dunecht and 10 miles west of Aberdeen.
The village has around 200 houses, and is serviced by Cluny Primary School which is located around 1 mile north of the centre. Near the centre of the village lies Sauchen Play Park for children. There are no amenities like shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, or hotels in the village.
Nearby is Shiels, an eighteenth century mansion with gathering hall. It was built in 1742 for West India trader, Charles MacKay of Shiels.
3.0 km
Kemnay House is a 17th-century tower house, later incorporated into a larger house, about 5.5 miles south-west of Inverurie, and 0.5 miles south of Kemnay, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to the south of the River Don.
3.5 km
Kemnay is a village 16 miles west of Aberdeen in Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
3.6 km
Kemnay railway station was a station on the Alford Valley Railway in Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, which opened in 1858 and closed in 1950.
There is archaeological evidence of an older square tower dating from around 1400 or 1500 within the current construction. The castle is a Category A listed building and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.