Details |
The remains of New Slains Castle, originally named as Bowness, sit on top of a high cliff to the east of Port Erroll. It originated as a tower and court, built in the late 16th - early 17th century by the ninth Earl of Errol after James VI had destroyed his old castle at Collieston. It was subsequently added to in the 18th century, and enlarged and virtually rebuilt in 1836-7, although the base of the tower survives on the south. The tower measures 4.8m by 2.5m within a wall 1.2m thick. The walling is probably original to the first floor level but with alterations. The whole building is now a two-storeyed roofless shell. To the north, south and west can be seen various banks and parterres where gardens, designed by Thomas Mawson, once stood. The castle is said to have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. Site visit in 2022 as part of the SCAPE Coastal Zone Assessment Survey.
|