Cawdor Castle

Cawdor Castle is a large, rectangular courtyard castle built in phases across several centuries. The original core is a five-story keep dating back to the mid-15th century, which incorporates earlier fabric. North and west wings, initially from the 16th century, were extensively rebuilt between 1760 and 1774 to form a substantial L-shaped range, connected to the central keep by a square stair tower. Further ranges were added in the mid and late 19th century, filling the south side of the courtyard and flanking the curtain-walled drawbridge on the east side. The entire castle is constructed of rubble with ashlar dressings.

The central keep tower features a blocked round-headed entrance, now a window, with later regular fenestration. It has a crenellated parapet that rises flush from the wallhead, marked by a row of water-spouts. Faceted angle bartizans corbel out from each corner, rising to conical slated roofs with gargoyle water-spouts. There are wallhead garderobes, and a gabled caphouse with end stacks.

The central tower is enclosed to the west and north by long three-story ranges, largely rebuilt in 1760-74 from 16th-century foundations. The north range features pedimented dormers, while the ground floor is vaulted with slit windows. A rectangular bartizan sits at the northwest corner, and regular fenestration is present throughout. The ranges have crowstepped gables. A corbelled round stair turret with a corbelled, square crowstepped attic chamber is located at the northeast corner, and a projecting stair tower with a similar attic chamber is at the southwest corner.

The mid and late 19th-century ranges on the south and east sides (dated 1858 and 1884, designed by Thomas Mackenzie and Alexander Ross) are two stories high. The first-floor windows on the east elevation break the wallheads within decorative pediments and flank a central drawbridge entrance with angle pepperpot bartizans. Multi-pane fenestration, crowsteps, corniced end and ridge stacks, and slate roofs are prominent features.

The interior of the central keep includes an original first-floor great hall, accessed by a wheel stair, featuring a mural garderobe and a corbelled beamed ceiling. An iron yett secures the ground-floor entrance. A great hall from 1672-4 contains a joggled chimney lintel, corbelled beamed ceiling, and a later gallery. The “Blue Room” has early 18th-century panelling, an ornate chimney piece dated 1667 with caryatids, moulded cornices, and access to the northwest angle bartizan. A similar deep moulded cornice is found in the “Yellow Drawing Room.” The dining room has an ornate chimney piece dated 1550 with intertwined leaves. A large square stair well has stone stairs, and there is a range of vaulted rooms in the undercroft, including a vaulted kitchen with a well.