In Aberdeenshire, the ruins of Tolquhon Castle are often held to be the most characteristic castle of the Scottish Renaissance. William Forbes enlarged an old tower into an ensemble of pleasure — an ornate gatehouse, a gallery, carved decoration — and proudly carved on it the date and his name.
Pleasure rather than war
To a pre-existing old tower (Preston Tower, fifteenth century), William Forbes, 7th laird, added between 15 April 1584 and 20 October 1589 a great ensemble arranged around a courtyard, favouring comfort and display over defence: an ornate gatehouse, a first-floor gallery, unusual stonework in the great hall. Tolquhon illustrates the turning point of Scottish architecture: the castle ceases to be a fortress to become a refined residence.
The mason Leiper and the carved pride
The mason-architect Thomas Leiper signed at Tolquhon his decorative triple gunloops framing the entrance — a motif found at Arnage and Dean, the mark of a hand and a school. And on the stone, William Forbes had carved an inscription that says everything of the builder's pride: 'AL THIS WARKE EXCEP THE AULD TOWR WAS BEGUN BE WILLIAM FORBES 15 APRIL 1584 AND ENDIT BE HIM 20 OCTOBER 1589'. King James VI visited the works in July 1589, in their last months.
What to see
- The ornate entrance gatehouse and its triple gunloops.
- The carved dedicatory inscription of William Forbes.
- The courtyard, the first-floor gallery and the old Preston tower.
Did you know?
The inscription at Tolquhon gives, to the day, the dates of the works: begun on 15 April 1584, finished on 20 October 1589. Few Renaissance builders dated and signed their work with such precision — and such pride.
Practical information
Tolquhon Castle lies north-west of Pitmedden, in Aberdeenshire; a ruin in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. Hours liable to change; check against the official sources.
Quiz
- What did William Forbes favour in enlarging Tolquhon?
- Pleasure and display rather than defence
- Heavy fortifications
- Building a cathedral
- What did Forbes carve on the castle's stone?
- The exact dates of the works and his name
- A love poem
- A map of Scotland
- Which king visited the works in 1589?
- James VI
- Henry VIII
- Charles I