Clan Rising
Castle Stuart today

Scotland · Restored

Castle Stuart

Castle Stuart is a 17th-century Scottish tower house on the banks of the Moray Firth, completed in 1625 for the Earls of Moray. After centuries of dereliction it has been restored and now operates as a luxury hotel; the building retains its original tower-house composition and prominent stair-tower.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1619

Its prime

1625

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1625

What Castle Stuart looked like in its prime.

A compact, multi-storey stone tower house of ashlar sandstone with a tall rectangular main block and a prominent round stair-tower capped by an open stone crown and finial. To the right a crenellated rectangular tower rises above the roofline; the left range presents steep, stone-slate pitched roofs with several gabled projections and grouped chimneys. Walls show regularly spaced narrow rectangular windows; the house sits on low coastal ground beside the Moray Firth, complete and occupied in its prime.

Its story

The story of Castle Stuart.

Mary, Queen of Scots' Grant to Her Half-Brother

The ground on the shore of the Moray Firth, some 6.5 miles (10 km) north-east of Inverness, came to the 1st Earl of Moray as a grant from his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, after her return to Scotland in 1561. The successive murders of Lord Moray and of his son-in-law, the 2nd Earl, carried the building down two generations before anything was finished.

The Tower House Finished by the 3rd Earl, 1625

Work on the tower house is dated to 1619, and it was James Stuart, 3rd Earl of Moray — grandson of the man Mary had granted the land to — who commissioned it and saw it completed in 1625.

Three Centuries Derelict After Charles I

The castle flourished at first, then fell into disuse as the fortunes of the House of Stuart sank through the English Civil War and the execution of Charles I in 1649. It stood derelict for about three hundred years. Restoration eventually brought the tower house back into occupied use as a hotel. It has been a category A listed building since 5 October 1971.

Links Golf on the Firth, 2009

A seaside links course opened alongside the castle on the Moray Firth in 2009, co-designed by managing partner Mark Parsinen with the architect Gil Hanse, and was voted Best New Golf Course by Golf magazine. It went on to host the Scottish Open in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1625.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Castle Stuart, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach across the lawn (south façade)From the Moray Firth shorelineAt the base of the round stair-towerOn the battlements of the rectangular towerFoot of the south façade beneath the gablesFrom above the roofline over the gables

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Recreate Castle Stuart with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1625, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Castle Stuart.

The families that held Castle Stuart for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Stuart

    Built by the Stuart Earls of Moray on land granted to the 1st Earl by Mary, Queen of Scots in 1561, and completed by the 3rd Earl in 1625.

Questions about Castle Stuart

What is the history of Castle Stuart?

Castle Stuart was built in the early 17th century for the Stuart Earls of Moray. The land was granted to the 1st Earl by Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1561, but successive murders delayed construction. The 3rd Earl completed the tower house in 1625; it later fell into disuse for about 300 years before restoration.

Why was Castle Stuart built, and what was it used for?

Castle Stuart was built as a tower house for the Earls of Moray and later became a luxury hotel. It initially flourished, but fell into disuse as the fortunes of the House of Stuart declined during the English Civil War and after Charles I’s execution in 1649.

Does anyone live in Castle Stuart now?

Castle Stuart is currently used as a luxury hotel, so it is occupied as a hotel rather than described as a private residence. The building was restored after lying derelict for about 300 years.

Where is Castle Stuart?

Castle Stuart stands on the banks of the Moray Firth, about six and a half miles northeast of Inverness. It is in Highland, beside low coastal ground on the Moray Firth.

When was Castle Stuart built?

Castle Stuart was built in the 17th century. Construction was first raised in 1619 and the tower house was completed in 1625, so the supplied dates place its building within that century.

Which family or clan held Castle Stuart?

Castle Stuart was held by the Stuart Earls of Moray. The 1st Earl received the land from his half-sister, Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1561, and the 3rd Earl completed the castle in 1625.

What did Castle Stuart look like in its prime?

Castle Stuart was a compact, multi-storey stone tower house built in ashlar sandstone. Its tall rectangular main block has a prominent round stair-tower with an open stone crown and finial, while a crenellated rectangular tower rises above the roofline. Steep stone-slate roofs, gabled projections, grouped chimneys and narrow rectangular windows complete the silhouette.

Is Castle Stuart still standing or is it a ruin?

Castle Stuart is still standing and has been restored. It retains its original tower-house composition and prominent stair-tower, after lying derelict for about 300 years.

Who built Castle Stuart?

Castle Stuart was commissioned by James Stuart, 3rd Earl of Moray. The supplied material does not name an architect or designer.

Can you visit Castle Stuart?

Castle Stuart operates as a luxury hotel and is therefore an occupied building rather than an unmanaged ruin. The available material does not describe general public access beyond its hotel use.

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