Kinnaird Head Castle
Kinnaird Head Castle Details
Kinnaird Castle, a C15 tower house of the Frasers, was converted into the Kinnaird Head Lighthouse C18 and is now a museum.
- Closest To: Fraserburgh
- Access: Free Public Access
- Grid Reference: NJ999675
Kinnaird Head Castle was a fairly substantial castle founded by the Fraser family in 1570 to accompany their newly developed town which they renamed Fraserburgh. The overall project extended the family finances a bit too far, meaning that some estates needed to be sold including their main seat at Cairnbulg. The castle remained occupied by the Frasers until the end of the 18th century when it was leased out.
Today all that remains is the reduced and modified tower-keep upon which was built the first lighthouse in Scotland, and a single square tower known as the Wine Tower. The site is open to the public with the great tower used as a museum relating to the lighthouse, but unfortunately does not contain any information about the castle itself.
Official Historic Scotland page
Official Museum of Scottish Lighthouses website