Corgarff Castle

Corgarff Castle is a modest tower house  of the mid 16th century built by the Forbes family, converted into a government garrison point in the 18th century and provided with a star-shaped outer wall at that time. It is managed by historic Environment Scotland, but opening times can be unreliable.

Strathdon was a battleground between the rival Forbes and Gordon families, and Corgarff was tenanted by the Forbeses by the 1540s, with the Elphinstone family as their lords ever since James IV granted parts of the earldom of Mar to Alexander (future 1st Lord) Elphinstone in 1507. The castle was most likely built by his grandson after 1546, and later passed to the Forbes family by marriage. It was notoriously burned by the Gordon family during their feud in 1571, occupied by bandits in 1607, and burned by Jacobite rebels in 1689/90. After Culloden the castle was converted to a garrison associated with Braemar, and it remained occupied until the early 20th century.

Official Historic Scotland page

HES Canmore database entry