Cairnbulg Castle

Cairnbulg Castle is a large square tower originally built in the mid-13th century, with the latest additions dating to the 14th century. The tower measures 41 feet by 29 feet 8 inches and features a corbelled parapet and angle rounds. The ground and first floors are vaulted and constructed of boulder rubble. An original staircase is built into the thickness of the wall, complete with a meurtriere feature at its base, although the upper parts have been infilled.

To the southwest, there is a smaller circular tower with a set-back upper floor added in 1545. This tower was part of a Z-plan arrangement created later in the century by linking it to the original tower with a wing and a turnpike stair. The castle was abandoned in 1799, and the central part of the linking building was demolished. The towers were restored, the courtyard wall was demolished, and the linking building was reconstructed wider on the south side than it originally was by Jenkins and Marr in 1896-1897 for Sir John Duthie. The restoration involved harling with margins and dressings, using sandstone or local heathen stone for the original work and granite for the later additions. The design of the first-floor south windows was modified, and internal alterations were made in 1966, including the insertion of some chimney pieces from Tarbat House.