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Fyvie Castle 
FIE-vee
Fyvie, near Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Circa Date: 14th century w/later additions
Status: Fully Extant
FIE-vee
Fyvie, near Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Circa Date: 14th century w/later additions
Status: Fully Extant
Special Info / Location/ Date
Special Info
Phonetic Pronunciation of House Name
FIE-vee
Location
Country
Scotland
District Today
Aberdeenshire
Historic County
City / Town / Village
Fyvie, near Turriff
Latitude
57.4433
Longitude
-2.3949
Date
Start Date
Completion Date
Circa Date
14th century w/later additions
Images
Click on thumbnail for a larger view
;)
;)
;)
The Entrance Hall
;)
The Clock
;)
The House from an early 20th century postcard
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Architects
Extant / Listed / References
Extant
Extant Type
Fully Extant
Extant Details
Listed
House Listed As
Grade A
Gardens Listed As
Unknown
On SAVE Britain's Heritage's List of Buildings at Risk
No
Country House: Yes
References
Vitruvius Britannicus
Vitruvius Scoticus
J.B. Burke (Burke's Visitation of Seats)
2.S. Vol. I, p. 10, 1854.
Country Life
XXXII, 388 plan, 1912. CIV, 378, 1948. CLXXII, 1131, 1982.
J.P. Neale (Neale's Views of Seats)
2.S. Vol. I, 1824. Scotland, 1830.
Access / Ownership / Seat
Access
Open to Public Please note: Houses listed as being open "By Appointment" are usually country house hotels or B&Bs.
Yes
Historic Houses Association Member
Phone Number If calling from the U.S., delete the first "0" in British numbers.
01651-891-266
Fax Number
01651-891-107
Email
Website
Awards
Current Ownership
Current Ownership Type
The National Trust for Scotland
Primary Current Ownership Use
Visitor Attraction
Current Ownership Use / Details
Seat ("Seat" is loosely defined
as any family that occupied the house for a period of 2 years or more)
Today Seat of
A Past Seat(s) of
Preston family. Seton family, 1599-early 18th century. Meldrum family. Gordon family. Alexander Leith, later Lord Leith of Fyvie. Sir Andrew Forbes-Leith.
Possible (Unsure) Seat of
History / Gardens & Park / Movies
History
Earlier House(s) / Building(s)
House Replaced By
Built / Designed For
House & Family History
Fyvie was once a royal stronghold, one of a chain of fortresses that sought to strengthen the Scottish monarchy. The land around the castle was a royal hunting forest. The name Fyvie means “deer hill” in Gaelic. The earliest castle on the site may have been built of timber in the 13th century. Robert the Bruce dispensed justice in an open-air court held beneath the hanging Beechwood trees of Fyvie. In the early 17th century the Castle was greatly enlarged by Alexander Seton, later Chancellor of Scotland. His additions left Fyvie as one of the finest examples of late 16th century Scottish baronial style. Charles I spent six years of his youth at Fyvie. In 1889 Alexander Leith, later Lord Leith of Fyvie, purchased the Castle, and, in 1890, added Leith Tower. The Tower was designed by John Bryce and was inspired by Huntly Castle. Fyvie contains the largest wheel staircase in Scotland, built by the Seton family between 1599 and 1601. In 1984 the Castle and its contents were sold by Alexander's grandson, Sir Andrew Forbes-Leith, to The National Trust for Scotland. The Trust acquired the House and established an endowment in 1984 with £3,020,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. In 2011 Fyvie celebrated its 800th birthday.
Collections
This field lists art objects that are currently or were previously in the collection of the house.
For information on the history of British currency, click here. To use a chart that allows you to compare the purchasing power of money In Great Britain from 1264 to any other year, including the present, click here. To use a currency conversion to see the current value of the British pound, click here.
For information on the history of British currency, click here. To use a chart that allows you to compare the purchasing power of money In Great Britain from 1264 to any other year, including the present, click here. To use a currency conversion to see the current value of the British pound, click here.
The collection includes works by Batoni, Raeburn, Romney, Gainsborough, Opie, and Hopper. Fyvie also includes a portrait collection, as well as an armory collection, and 17th century tapestries. The portrait and armory collections are considered outstanding.
Comments
Fyvie is considered the greatest Scottish Baronial house in existence. Legend says that each of the five towers was built by the five families who've lived at Fyvie: the Prestons, the Medrums, the Setons, the Gordons, and the Leiths.
Gardens & Park
Garden, Park, Follies and Outbuildings
The parkland was landscaped in the early 19th century. The grounds today encompass 118 acres, which includes a racquet court, an ice house, and bird hide.
Chapel & Church
Movies
Location for Movies / TV
"The Last of the Blonde Bombshells" (2000 - TV movie). "Spook Squad" (2004 - TV series).
Bibliography
| Author | Sayer, Michael |
| Year Published | 1993 |
| Reference |
| Author | NA |
| Year Published | 1999 |
| Reference |
| Author | NA |
| Year Published | 1999 |
| Reference |
| Author | Hartley, Christopher |
| Year Published | 1996 |
| Reference |
Related Resources
There are no documents associated with this house.
