Fetteresso Castle

Fetteresso Castle is a ruined castle house in Kirktown of Fetteresso, just west of Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. It began as a 14th-century tower house and was later reworked into a larger residence. Today it stands roofless and is not a ticketed attraction, but it rewards castle fans and anyone exploring the Kincardineshire coast around better-known Dunnottar.

Where is Fetteresso Castle?

The castle sits on the north-western edge of the village of Kirktown of Fetteresso, slightly west of the A90 and right beside Stonehaven. Its coordinates are roughly 56.96 N, 2.26 W. Other fortified houses nearby include Dunnottar, Muchalls, Fiddes and Cowie.

What is its history?

The records give this outline:

• the site shows evidence of prehistoric use,
• 14th century: a tower house was built here,
• 1645: the house was burnt by Montrose's forces and then neglected,
• a later rebuild folded the old parts into a Palladian-style mansion with Gothic touches. Wikipedia dates this to 1761, while Canmore ties the rebuild to the early 1800s (1808), so sources disagree on the year,
• the building is now unroofed and derelict.

The castle is a Category B listed building (Historic Environment Scotland ref. LB9373, listed 1987).

What else is part of the estate?

Two further structures are listed in their own right. A beehive-shaped doocot (dovecot) from the 16th century stands about 140 m south-east of the castle and holds Category A status. A walled garden with a summer house is listed at Category C, and the listing says the summer house was where ladies from the castle took tea. In the village you will also find the roofless old parish church of St Ciaran, with its graveyard.

Can you go inside?

The castle is not open to visitors as a tourist site, and a roofless ruin is unsafe. View it from the outside, from public roads and paths, and do not enter private land or the walls. The Buildings at Risk register rated the doocot in very poor condition, so do not climb on any of the structures.

How do you get there?

Stonehaven lies on the A90 between Aberdeen and Dundee and has a railway station. Kirktown of Fetteresso is a few minutes by car from the town, or a walk west from the centre.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fetteresso Castle open to the public? There is no regular visiting. The castle is a roofless ruin, so look at it from outside.

How old is the castle? The oldest part is a 14th-century tower house. The present house is the result of a rebuild in the 18th or early 19th century (sources give 1761 and 1808).

What is the doocot? A 16th-century Category A beehive dovecot near the castle, one of the most valued structures in the group.

What can you visit nearby? Stonehaven is closest, and Dunnottar Castle, one of Scotland's best-known castles, stands on the coast to the south.