Moniack Castle
Encyclopedia
Moniack Castle is a 16th-century tower house
located 7 miles (11.3 km) west of Inverness
, and just south of Beauly
in Highland
, Scotland
. The castle was built in 1580 by members of the Clan Fraser
. Today the castle grounds comprise a winery, which is still owned and operated by Frasers. The castle is protected as a category B listed building.
The L-plan castle has been altered many times since its construction. The crenellated parapet was added in 1804 and the castle was extended in the 1830s. The interiors include a Roman Catholic chapel. In the grounds of the castle is the Balblair Stone, a Pict
ish symbol stone
, carved with the figure of a man, which was moved here from Kilmorack
in 1903.
Moniack Castle is the only castle that still belongs to a branch of the Lovat Frasers. This branch is known as the Moniack Frasers and is the largest off-shoot of the clan. It consists of over 150 descendants from the Hon. Alastair Fraser and Lady Sybil (née Grimstone). Alastair was given the castle by his elder brother, Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat
, in 1926. The castle is occupied by the chief
of the Moniack Frasers, Rory Fraser, known as "Moniack", and his family. Since 1978 the family have run a winery
from the castle.
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
located 7 miles (11.3 km) west of Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, and just south of Beauly
Beauly
Beauly is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901...
in Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
, 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...
. The castle was built in 1580 by members of the Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser is a Scottish clan of French origin. The Clan has been strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. Since its founding, the Clan has dominated local politics and been active in every major military conflict...
. Today the castle grounds comprise a winery, which is still owned and operated by Frasers. The castle is protected as a category B listed building.
The L-plan castle has been altered many times since its construction. The crenellated parapet was added in 1804 and the castle was extended in the 1830s. The interiors include a Roman Catholic chapel. In the grounds of the castle is the Balblair Stone, a Pict
PICT
PICT is a graphics file format introduced on the original Apple Macintosh computer as its standard metafile format. It allows the interchange of graphics , and some limited text support, between Mac applications, and was the native graphics format of QuickDraw.The original version, PICT 1, was...
ish symbol stone
Pictish stones
Pictish stones are monumental stelae found in Scotland, mostly north of the Clyde-Forth line. These stones are the most visible remaining evidence of the Picts and are thought to date from the 6th to 9th centuries, a period during which the Picts became Christianized...
, carved with the figure of a man, which was moved here from Kilmorack
Kilmorack
Kilmorack is a small hamlet in Inverness-shire, in the Highlands of Scotland and now in the Highland Council area. It is situated on the north bank of the River Beauly, 3 miles west of Beauly and 15 miles west of the city of Inverness....
in 1903.
Moniack Castle is the only castle that still belongs to a branch of the Lovat Frasers. This branch is known as the Moniack Frasers and is the largest off-shoot of the clan. It consists of over 150 descendants from the Hon. Alastair Fraser and Lady Sybil (née Grimstone). Alastair was given the castle by his elder brother, Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat
Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat
Brigadier-General Simon Joseph Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat and 3rd Baron Lovat KT, GCVO, KCMG, CB, DSO , was a leading Roman Catholic aristocrat, landowner, soldier, politician and the 23rd Chief of Clan Fraser. He was the son of Simon Fraser, 13th Lord Lovat, and Alice Mary Weld-Blundell...
, in 1926. The castle is occupied by the chief
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
of the Moniack Frasers, Rory Fraser, known as "Moniack", and his family. Since 1978 the family have run a winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
from the castle.