Following yesterdays walk up Green Hill, the second walk of our Aberdeenshire weekend would take us around the estate of Castle Fraser.

Yesterday, it had rained morning, so we walked in the afternoon. Today, however, since it promised rain in the afternoon, we walked in the morning.

Castle Fraser is just a few miles north of Midmar.

After leaving the visitor car park, we decided to follow Miss Bristow’s trail.

This short walk is named after Mary Bristow. She lived in Quidenham Hall in Norfolk. However, importantly, she was a close friend of Elyza Frazer, one of the lady lairds of Castle Fraser.

The two women travelled around Europe together visiting various gardens in the late 18th century, before developing and designing the woodland, known as Miss Bristow’s Wood, from the agricultural land surrounding Castle Fraser.

After following the path into the woods we walked alongside Muchalls Burn for a short while.

A little further on is a granite monument. It was built on the instructions of Elyza Fraser following Mary Bristow’s death in 1805.

It bears the inscription “Sacred to the memory of a friendship which subsisted over 40 years, Elyza Fraser erects this monument in the groves planted by her lamented friend.”

Continuing on, at the far end of Miss Bristows Wood we turned back towards the castle. Then in an opening we could look over the fields and see the castle in the distance. 

We were then going to follow the second of the two walks around the parkland, that one being called Alton Brae Trail, but it had now started to rain quite heavily.

Instead, we picked up the track back to the castle.

We had a very quick walk through the formal gardens.

Then, after lunch went inside the castle to hve a look around.

The Laigh Hall, where you enter the castle, was part of the ground floor of the original castle.

It was built as the home of the Frasers of Muchalls who later became the Frasers of Castle Fraser. In turn it was passed down through the Lords Fraser, the Frasers of Inverallochy, and finally the Mackenzie family who took on the name Mackenzie Fraser.

Castle Fraser still contains alot of original family contents, including Fraser family portraits, their furniture and various collections.

The library was more than just for reading, it was also used for games and entertaining.

Finally, there was the Bailiff’s Room. He looked after the estate, oversaw the workers and payed their wages.

Then, it was time to leave. There was lots to see and do at Castle Fraser and we had only joined in some of it. Maybe, next time we are in Aberdeenshire, and it isn’t raining, we’ll return. It would certainly be worth it.

You can view our Catle Fraser walk route below: