Beaufort Castle, Scotland

Beaufort Castle under construction in the late 1870s - the 13th

Lord Lovat is shown at right

Beaufort Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Caisteal Duuaidh) is

located near Beauly in Inverness-shire, northern Scotland.
It is 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Kiltarlity, and 12 miles (19
km) west of Inverness. The present castle is a Baronial
style mansion built in 1880, but incorporates older build-
ing work. There has been a castle on the site since the
12th century. Beaufort is the traditional seat of the Lords
Lovat.

1 History
The earliest mention of the site, as Downie or Dounie
The main tower of Beaufort Castle
Castle, occurs in the reign of Alexander I (11061124),
when a siege took place.[1] The original castle was built
by the Byset family. The castle came into the hands of the
started since the Jacobite Rising of 1745 intervened.[3]
Frasers in the late 13th century. English forces besieged
Lovat, changing allegiance again, supported the Jaco-
the castle in 1303. bites, but was captured and executed after the Battle of
In the 1650s Dounie was attacked and burned by the Culloden. Dounie Castle was razed by the Duke of Cum-
forces of Oliver Cromwell during their invasion of Scot- berland, and the estate was declared forfeit.[1]
land.[2] From 1746 the estate was run by the Forfeited Estates
The Fraser estates were inherited by Simon Fraser, 11th Commissioners, appointed by Parliament to dispose of
Lord Lovat (c.16671747), in 1699. Known as 'The conscated estates, and a small house was built on the
Fox', Lovat became deeply involved in the Jacobite cause, site of the demolished castle to house the factor (estate
which aimed to restore the deposed House of Stuart to the manager). In 1774 the estate was returned to Lovats son,
thrones of Scotland and England. Exiled to France, Lo- Simon Fraser of Lovat (17261782), who had raised and
vat joined James Stuart, the Old Pretender, and converted commanded the 78th Fraser Highlanders for the British
to Catholicism. He attempted to recruit Scottish nobles Army.[1] Proposals for a new house on the site were put
to the cause, carrying messages to Scotland, but his deal- forward in 1777 but not executed. In 1815 the estate was
ings led to ten years imprisonment in France. Return- inherited by Thomas Fraser of Strichen (18021875),
ing in 1714, he apparently renounced the Jacobite cause who was reinstated to the Lordship of Lovat in 1854.
in return for possession of his estates. In the 1740s he In 1839 he commissioned William Burn to extend the
commissioned William Adam to design a new house at house, and also improved the grounds and estate. His
Dounie. Adams last work, the project only progressed son Simon Fraser, 13th Lord Lovat (18281887), built
to the supply of stonework to the site: construction never the present Beaufort Castle, to designs by James Maitland

1
2 5 EXTERNAL LINKS

Wardrop, incorporating part of the 18th-century house.[4]

The castle was sold in 1994 to Stagecoach director Ann
Gloag by the 15th Lord Lovat, to meet inheritance
taxes.[5][6]

2 Description
The Baronial mansion incorporates a private Roman
Catholic chapel.[4] The remains of Dounie Castle stand
beside the house, and comprise a single wall, 11 metres
(36 ft) long and 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) high, with a plaque
stating that it is the ruin of Castle Downie, the ancient
stronghold of the Frasers of Lovat, built c. 1400, and de-
stroyed by Cumberland after the battle of Culloden.[2]
The house is a category A listed building.[4] The grounds
are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed
Landscapes, the national listing of signicant gardens in
Scotland.[1]

3 References
[1] Beaufort Castle. Inventory of Gardens and Designed
Landscapes in Scotland. Historic Environment Scotland.
Retrieved 12 August 2016.

[2] RCAHMS. Beaufort Castle (12746)". Canmore. Re-

trieved 30 October 2013.

[3] Fleming, John (1962) Robert Adam and His Circle, John
Murray. pp.6364

[4] Beaufort Castle. Historic Scotland. Retrieved 30 Octo-

ber 2013.

[5] Lord Lovat died knowing that the ancestral home would
have to go. Debts force sale of Beaufort Castle. The
Herald. 1 June 1995.

[6] Beaufort Castle. Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 30

October 2013.

4 See also
Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
List of castles in Scotland

5 External links
Media related to Beafuort Castle at Wikimedia
Commons

Coordinates: 572711N 42924W / 57.45306N

4.49000W
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