SCT Scotland
Castles near Aberdeen
23 castles, fortresses, palaces and ruins within 100 km of the city centre — every one on the interactive map, with photos, distances and directions.
The closest is Drum Castle, 16 km south-west of the city centre; the most famous is Balmoral Castle — #13 of 3,708 worldwide — 69 km west. The oldest dated site in the circle is Delgatie Castle, founded 1049.
Every one of them stands in Scotland — the country page shows the full national picture.
Within 25 km of Aberdeen
- Dunnottar Castle
23 km south · Ruin · #156 worldwide
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the northeast coast of Scotland, about 2 miles south of Stonehaven in…
- Crathes Castle
23 km south-west · Castle
Crathes Castle is a castle built in the 16th century, near Banchory in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is in the historic county of Kincardineshire.
- Drum Castle
16 km south-west · Castle
Drum Castle is a castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. For centuries it was the seat of the chief of Clan Irvine.
- Castle Fraser
23 km west · Castle
Castle Fraser is a large Z-plan castle near Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is considered one of the most elaborate examples of its type and one…
Day trips: 25–60 km
- Craigievar Castle
37 km west · Castle
Craigievar Castle is a harled castle or fortified country house 6 miles south of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
- Huntly Castle
53 km north-west · Ruin
Huntly Castle is a ruined castle north of Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where the rivers Deveron and Bogie meet.
- Kildrummy Castle
49 km west · Ruin
Kildrummy Castle is a ruined castle near Kildrummy, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
- Fyvie Castle
37 km north-west · Castle
Fyvie Castle is a castle in the village of Fyvie, near Turriff in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
- Edzell Castle
51 km south-west · Ruin
Edzell Castle is a ruined 16th-century castle, with an early-17th-century walled garden.
- Delgatie Castle
48 km north-west · Castle
Delgatie Castle is a castle near Turriff, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The castle consists of a white-harled, five-storey tower dating from the 16th…
- Glenbuchat Castle
55 km west · Ruin
Glenbuchat Castle is a historic Z plan Scottish castle built in 1590 for John Gordon of Cairnbarrow to mark his wedding.
- New Slains Castle
34 km north-east · Ruin
Slains Castle, also known as New Slains Castle to distinguish it from the nearby Old Slains Castle, is a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Farther afield: 60–100 km
- Balmoral Castle
69 km west · Castle · #13 worldwide
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and a residence of the British royal family.
- Glamis Castle
80 km south-west · Castle · #169 worldwide
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the…
- Braemar Castle
79 km west · Castle
Braemar Castle is situated near the village of Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
- St Andrews Castle
99 km south-west · Ruin
St Andrews Castle is a ruin located in the coastal Royal Burgh of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland.
- Broughty Castle
90 km south-west · Castle
Broughty Castle is a historic castle on the banks of the River Tay in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland.
- Ballindalloch Castle
81 km west · Castle
Ballindalloch Castle, known as the "pearl of the north", is a Scottish castle located in Ballindalloch, Banffshire, Scotland.
- Findlater Castle
72 km north-west · Ruin
Findlater Castle is the old seat of the Earls of Findlater and Seafield, sitting on a 50-foot-high cliff overlooking the Moray Firth on the coast of…
- Claypotts Castle
89 km south-west · Castle
Claypotts Castle is a late medieval castle in the suburban West Ferry area of Dundee, Scotland.
- Duffus Castle
96 km north-west · Ruin
Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland, was a motte-and-bailey castle and was in use from c. 1140 to 1705.
- Balvenie Castle
70 km north-west · Ruin
Balvenie Castle is a ruined castle 1 km north of Dufftown in the Moray region of Scotland.
- Mains Castle
90 km south-west · Castle
Mains Castle is a 16th-century castle in Dundee, Scotland. The castle consists of several buildings surrounding a courtyard, although several of the…
Distances are straight-line from the city centre. City coordinates and population: Wikidata Q36405.
Frequently asked questions
How many castles are near Aberdeen?
The Castlemap atlas maps 23 landmarks (13 castles · 10 ruins) within 100 km of the centre of Aberdeen, measured straight-line — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks, not a count of every fortification ever built.
What is the closest castle to Aberdeen?
Drum Castle, a castle 16 km south-west of the city centre.
What is the most famous castle near Aberdeen?
Balmoral Castle, ranked #13 of 3,708 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking — 69 km west from Aberdeen.
What is the oldest castle near Aberdeen?
The oldest dated landmark in the circle is Delgatie Castle, founded 1049 — 48 km north-west. Earlier structures may have existed; this is the oldest with a documented founding year.
Nearby city guides: Dundee (93 km) · Edinburgh (149 km) · Glasgow (195 km). See also medieval castles · all rankings · castles by country.