Scotland · 17th century
Cluny Castle was originally built c.1604 as a Z-plan castle replacing either a house or small peel tower. Sited in the parish of Cluny, it is south of Monymusk and north of Sauchen in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. Owned by the Gordon baronets of Cluny and three separate branches of the family over the centuries, it was used to shelter Jacobite rebels in the mid-18th century. Extensive additions were made in 1820 to the design of architect John Smith when it was in the ownership of Colonel John Gordon. The private chapel, once completed in 1870, was described by the British press as "one of the first and most beautiful oratories in the kingdom". Two wings of the castle and the adjoining private chapel were destroyed by fire in 1926, but the damage was mostly restored.
It is a Category A listed building and has been used as a film setting. The grounds are included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland and are described as 'Outstanding' in their Artistic and Historical Interest by Historic Scotland.
As of 2025 it remains privately owned by Cosmo Linzee Gordon of Cluny who has employed craftsmen to complete extensive renovations. It is not open to the public but corporate events are hosted there and weddings are held in the chapel.
Text adapted from “Cluny Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Cluny Castle ranks #5,217 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #182 of the 226 mapped in Scotland. Founded c. 1604, it is older than 31% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 721 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,917 times in the last 60 days, more than 68% of the atlas. 10 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Aberdeen, 26 km away. It is one of the 30 landmarks on the atlas's regional map of Aberdeenshire. It is stop 8 of 23 on the Aberdeenshire castle trail, Stonehaven to Aberdeen. See how Scotland compares in the castle statistics.
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