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NTS Recording Event
Date May 1996 - May 1996
Event ID 976325
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/976325
B001 Castle Fraser Listed Cat. A.
'Z-plan' or '3-stepped plan' Tower House, with additional square tower at the north-east corner (Michael Tower) and a round tower at the south-east. Begun c.1575 by the 6th Laird, Michael Fraser, and finished by the 7th Laird in 1633, it incorporates an earlier (15th C) rectangular tower house. The latter phases of building involved master masons John Bell and James Leiper. The 5-6 storey main block is in exposed granite rubble; towers, turrets and outbuildings harled; pitched, slated roofs with conical roofs on turrets. The round tower has flat roof with balustrades and is used a viewing platform. Two low service wings extend on the north side forming a courtyard which makes an impressive composition, with a large armorial panel high up on the north facade over a former entrance. The main entrance is now on south side. Two small gatehouses with a linking archway were added by Col. Charles Mackenzie-Fraser.
The Castle form the focus of the whole landscape composition, both in its formal components and its 'natural style' improvements. Vistas along the Broad Walk, the West Avenue and the remains of older part of East Avenue all terminate with the Castle. The North and South Drives both take sweeping approaches, in which views of the Castle are all important. From the spaces between these lines, the Castle is seen in its imposing bulk, within its immediate setting of trees on either side.
The Castle also is significant as the main viewing point of the landscape. The principal rooms, main entrance and general aspect of the Castle are to the south across the parkland to Miss Bristow's Wood. As Section 6 will show, the surviving planting design and condition of trees does not at present do justice to the magnificence of the Castle.
The Round Tower provides an excellent viewing platform of the landscape in all directions (although even from here Bennachie cannot be seen, contrary to some 19th century pictures of the Castle). The elevated position allows the topographic setting of the Castle and its designed landscape to be appreciated.
(CAF96 B001) Information from (BNM) March 2014
