Cairnbulg Castle is a z-plan castle situated in Cairnbulg, Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. Originally known as Philorth Castle it was built in the early 14th century, destroyed in winter of 1308-1309 in the Wars of Independence

First War of Scottish Independence

The First War of Scottish Independence lasted from the invasion by England in 1296 until the de jure restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328...

, and re-built by the Fraser family in 1380. Subsequently, a courtyard and outbuildings were added to the main tower. It is now open to the public by appointment only. Lady Saltoun and Captain Alexander Ramsay of Mar, who was one of Queen Victoria's great grandchildren, lived there for a while but nowadays Katherine Nicholson eldest daughter to Lady Saltoun lives there with her husband Mark and three children Louise, Juliet and Alexander. Lady Saltouns children lived at Cairnbulg while children themselves. Her children were Katharine, Alice and Elizabeth. Alice married David Ramsey and they had four children Alexander, Victoria, George and Oliver Ramsey.