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Corse Castle today

Scotland · Ruin

Corse Castle

Corse Castle near Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire, is a 16th-century Scottish tower house erected in 1581 for the Forbes family. It is a compact Z-plan/L-plan tower house and has been designated a scheduled monument. The castle now survives as a roofless ruin standing beside the Corse Burn.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1581

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1581

What Corse Castle looked like in its prime.

Compact 16th-century Z-plan tower house of coursed rubble stone with a tall rectangular main block and projecting corner towers forming an L/Z footprint. Corbelled round stair-turrets (bartizans) at the corners rise above the roofline; pitched slate roofs and a prominent gabled chimney stack crown the main block. Narrow vertical slit and small rectangular windows pierce thick walls. Set on a low mound beside the Corse Burn with trees behind, the castle stands as a complete, multi-storey tower house.

Its story

The story of Corse Castle.

Corse was a property of the Forbes family, and the present tower house by the Corse Burn, some three miles north-west of Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire, was erected in 1581 as the fortress and centre of a landed estate in the north-east of Scotland.

A second son of the family, William, a merchant, bought nearby Craigievar Castle in 1610 and completed it in 1626. In 1869 Corse was occupied by James Ochoncar Forbes (1837–1900), second son of Sir John Forbes, 7th Baronet of Craigievar, his elder brother, William Forbes-Sempill, 17th Lord Sempill, having inherited Craigievar and a peerage from a cousin. The castle, now a roofless ruin, is a scheduled monument.

Step inside

5 places to explore in 1581.

The record describes 5 distinct spots at Corse Castle, 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.

Exterior approach from the roadside below the moundSouth bank of the dammed Corse Burn (pond view)Main entrance doorway and carved lintelCorbelled round stair-turret (bartizan) at a cornerWestern gable wall with vertical window sequence and chimney

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Recreate Corse Castle with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1581, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Corse Castle.

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

  • Forbes

    Corse was a Forbes property; the tower house was erected for the family in 1581.

From the archive

Corse Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

Fig. 721.—Corse Castle. View from the South., Corse Castle

Fig. 721.—Corse Castle. View from the South.

1887 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 2 (1887)

Public domain

Fig. 722. -- Corse Castle. View from the North-East., Corse Castle

Fig. 722. -- Corse Castle. View from the North-East.

1887 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 2 (1887)

Public domain

WF. 1581 ES. / ENTRANCE DOOR, Corse Castle

WF. 1581 ES. / ENTRANCE DOOR

1887 · MacGibbon & Ross, vol. 2 (1887)

Public domain

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Corse Castle.

Balmoral Castle, ScotlandPalaceBalmoral Castle32 km awayPittodrie Stadium, ScotlandStadiumPittodrie Stadium40 km away

Questions about Corse Castle

What is the history of Corse Castle?

Corse Castle was erected in the 16th century as a fortress and the centre of a landed estate. The original house was destroyed by bandits in a raid, after which Sir William Forbes built the present castle, dated 1581. The estate later reverted to the Forbeses of Craigievar, and the castle became redundant in the mid-19th century when a new house replaced it.

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

Corse Castle was built as a fortress and the centre of a landed estate in the north-east of Scotland. It was a defensive tower house, with the entrance date and William Forbes’s initials on the lintel. The castle later became redundant when a new house replaced it in the mid-19th century.

Where is Corse Castle?

Corse Castle is near Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire. It stands beside the Corse Burn, around three miles north-west of Lumphanan. The castle is set in the north-east of Scotland.

When was Corse Castle built?

Corse Castle was built in the 16th century, with the present tower house erected in 1581. The first-raised year is not recorded, so the exact date of the earliest building on the site is not established. The present castle bears the date 1581.

Which family or clan held Corse Castle?

The Forbes family held Corse Castle. It was a Forbes property, and the tower house was erected for the family in 1581. Later, the estate reverted to the Forbeses of Craigievar after the Corse line lacked further heirs.

What did Corse Castle look like in its prime?

Corse Castle was a compact 16th-century Z-plan tower house of coursed rubble stone. Its tall rectangular main block had projecting corner towers, corbelled round stair-turrets and a prominent gabled chimney stack. Narrow slit windows and small rectangular openings pierced its thick walls, while pitched slate roofs crowned the structure.

Is Corse Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Corse Castle survives as a roofless ruin. The castle remains a complete, multi-storey tower house standing beside the Corse Burn, although it no longer has its roof. It has been designated a scheduled monument.

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