Description of the attraction
Drum Castle is an ancient castle located near the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. There are hardly any sights in the whole of Britain that are more romantic than Scottish castles. The construction of fortifications is a necessary condition for survival in the highlands of Scotland, where wars both with neighboring countries and between neighboring clans have not stopped throughout history. The first stone broch towers were built here by the Picts. Similar structures are found only in Scotland. Medieval fortified castles (they are called tower houses) are harsh and inaccessible, like the Scottish mountains themselves. And the Scottish castles-palaces of the 17th century combine the severity of mountain fortresses, the grace of French châteaux, the refinement of the Baroque style and the sublimity of the Gothic.
The name "dram" comes from the Gaelic word "druim" - comb. The main tower of the castle was built in the 13th century and is considered one of the three oldest towers and tower houses in Scotland, which have survived to this day almost unchanged. The large residential wing of the castle was built in 1619, and the castle was also rebuilt during the Victorian era.
The Scottish king Robert the Bruce in 1325 granted the castle and adjacent lands to his loyal squire and secretary, William Irwin of the Irvine clan.
In the 18th century, beautiful gardens, a rose garden and an arboretum were laid out around the castle, in which trees from all over the British Empire of that time grew. The ancient Dram oak grove has survived and is included in the list of objects of special scientific interest.
The castle is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is open to the public during the summer months.
