Drum Castle

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Drum Castle

Drum Castle is a castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was for centuries the seat of the Clan Irvine. The place name " Drum" is derived from the Gaelic druim (Eng. increase).

The castle belongs to the National Trust for Scotland and is open during the summer for visitors. The chapel, the dining room and the property can be rented for weddings and corporate parties. A variety of local events such as classic car racing and music festivals take place here. In the castle there is a small shop and a tea room. The tower of Drum Castle is the oldest residential tower in Scotland. Surrounded by gardens, the castle is from the 18th century, contains, including a rose garden and an arboretum, the trees from all regions of the British Empire from the 18th century. At the castle also includes a built in 15th century and in the 18th century extensively renovated chapel.

History

Prehistoric settlement is known through archaeological sites such as Balbridie. Roman legions crossed the area on their campaign of Raedykes the near Normandykes. They used the Elsick Mounth, one of the oldest known streets that crossed the Grampian Mountains.

The Drum Castle castle dates from the 13th century and was probably built by the medieval architect Richard Cementarius from which the Bridge of Don originates in Old Aberdeen. The castle and its grounds were William de Irwyn passed in 1325 by Robert the Bruce for faithful service and remained until 1975, in the possession of Clan Irvine.

A large wing was added in 1619 by the ninth Laird, further changes were made during the Victorian era.

Drum Castle played a role during the Covenanting Rebellion, in which it was attacked and sacked three times.

End of the 17th century, the family was forced to sell large parts of the country belonging to Drum Castle. However, the castle directly bounding land could be held.

In 1746, investigated government troops of the Duke of Cumberland to 17th Laird Alexander Irvine of Crimond, after he had fought on the side of the rebel Bonnie Prince Charlie. Alexander fled into parental Drum Castle, where he was hidden by his sister Mary in a secret room. Supposedly Alexander spent whole three years in hiding, as he prepared his escape.

In 1991 the National Trust for Scotland, a rose garden, the Garden of Historic Roses created.

In 2013, examined the archaeologist Jonathan Clark on behalf of the National Trust for Scotland, to which the castle is now one of the castle. He discovered there are two rooms which had been bricked up in the 1840s. There is speculation that it could be explained to those rooms, which hid the mid-18th century, Alexander Irvine.