Dunrobin Castle

Dunrobin Castle is a vast baronial turretted mansion, the principal seat of the Sutherland family. The building encloses a 14th-century square tower and an abutting 17th-century drum stair tower with small pedimented windows. A further 17th-century L-plan tower house wing with angle turrets and a 1788–95 wing form part of the complex. The main structure, however, dates from 1835–50 and was designed by Sir Charles Barry, with subsequent repairs and alterations by Sir Robert Lorimer in 1919. The building is mainly three storeys and attic.

The 14th-century tower and stair tower are constructed of rubble. The 17th-century range is harled to the inner court and rendered to the outer faces. The 18th-century wing is rendered. The 19th-century work by Barry consists of tooled ashlar with polished dressings, a battered rubble plinth, and terrace retaining walls at the south.

The main entrance elevation at the north is dominated by a square four-stage tower with a round-headed porte cochere in the base and a pedimented and balconied first-floor window above. Clasping angle turrets are corbelled from the third floor, with a corbelled castellated parapet and a central romantic corbelled square turret featuring a steep pyramidal roof in the manner of Viollet-le-Duc. A tower at the angle of two lower ranges is similarly detailed, with a pedimented wallhead at the right of the main north range, an ogee slated roof, and ornate clock faces above a corbelled balcony with decorative cast-iron balustrade.

The expansive south elevation is set at three angles with tall angle drum towers. The drums have corbelled upper stages on those clasping the taller eastern block. These are topped with attenuated conical decorative fish-scale and ribbed leaded roofs terminating in cast-iron finials. Ornamental pediments decorate the first-floor windows of the drawing room and north-east range, linked by cill bands that also appear on the second floor. A large oriel occupies the south-west elevation in an advanced and crowstepped gabled bay. Ornamental detailing—balconies, castellations, corniced stacks, and slate roofs—extends throughout the exterior. Wide terracing extends at the south and west, with an extensive service courtyard at the north-west.

The interior is entered through a main entrance porch leading to a wide mid-19th-century staircase with ornamental Caen stone balustrade. This gives onto a rib-vaulted landing and corridors leading to the main first and second-floor rooms.

The dining room was re-designed by Sir Robert Lorimer with an ornate coffered moulded plaster ceiling, a classical grisaille frieze of Italian origin, light wood panelled walls, and a Tudor-style chimneypiece with a cast-iron fire back.

The billiard room is a large panelled room designed to accommodate two billiard tables. Lorimer reconstructed it from the 1850 library, with pine panelled walls and an ornate pilaster ceiling. It features a green marble chimneypiece with swags attributed to Grinling Gibbons.

The breakfast room has canted ends, simple plaster walls with a panelled dado, and an ornate door case with an oyster walnut door. The overdoor and a feature incorporating swags are attributed to Grinling Gibbons. A 17th-century style plaster ceiling completes the scheme, all re-designed by Lorimer.

The drawing room was re-designed by Lorimer, combining two smaller rooms from the Barry wing. This long room is lit by five full-length windows and features an ornate plaster ceiling with a reticulated design, a central armorial boss, and a decorative frieze. A decorative carved marble chimneypiece with a lugged moulded surround is set with figured green and white marble. Corniced door-cases, decorative panelled doors, and window shutters with secondary glazed inner shutters (for double glazing) are installed, along with ornamental radiator casings.

The library was re-designed by Lorimer from a former principal bedroom and dressing rooms. It is panelled throughout and shelved with sycamore wood, with figured marble fireplaces at each end.

The Duke's study has Lorimer panelling in larch and a moulded and lugged wood chimneypiece with a figured marble surround, plus a small wrought-iron balcony to the window.

The green and gold bedroom, created in 1921 for the Duchess Eileen, is French in style with stippled green panelled walls featuring gilt garlanded and mirrored panels. White marble chimneypieces are present, and a painted swag motif decorates the ceiling.

The Dunrobin lands were acquired by Hugh, Lord of Duffus (Moray) and grandson of Freskin de Moravia, before 1211. Hugh's son William became the 1st Earl of Sutherland circa 1235. The Freskin line ended in 1514, with the title inherited by Elizabeth Gordon, sister of the 5th Earl, who married the Hon. Adam Gordon, younger son of the 2nd Earl of Huntly. In 1766, the earldom passed to a later Elizabeth Gordon (only daughter of the 18th Earl), who married George Granville Leveson-Gore, later the 2nd Marquis of Stafford. Leveson-Gore inherited enormous industrial wealth in the West Midlands and was subsequently created 1st Duke of Sutherland (died 1834). The 2nd Duke initiated Barry's additions to the castle. The dukedom passed elsewhere in 1963, but Dunrobin Castle and the Sutherland estates were inherited by Elizabeth, the present Countess of Sutherland in her own right.

Stone for the 1835–50 work was sourced from Brora and Braambury quarries in Sutherland. The staircase and entrance hall are lined with Caen stone.

Much of the interior was destroyed by fire in 1915, when the castle was in use as a naval hospital. This damage prompted the re-designing of the interior by Sir Robert Lorimer in 1919.