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Accessibility

Craigievar Castle accessibility guide

Nestled on a picturesque hillside, the elegant pink tower of Craigievar Castle is spellbindingly beautiful, sure to enchant children and adults alike.

On this page:

Welcome

Contact for accessibility enquiries: John Lemon, Visitor Services Supervisor

Telephone: 01339 883635

Email: craigievarcastle@nts.org.uk

Access to the castle may be difficult for people with limited mobility as there are stone steps leading into the castle and shop. The path from the car park is fairly level with a slight slope – all other paths and trails in the grounds are steep and rough-surfaced.

At a glance

There is level (no stairs) access to:

  • The toilet block in the car park
  • The Barmkin kiosk
Expand image 1: An exterior view of the recently repainted pink walls of Craigievar Castle, looking up a grassy path beside the barmkin wall.

Getting here

Craigievar Castle
Alford
Aberdeenshire
AB33 8JF

Craigievar Castle is 6 miles south of Alford, 15 miles north-west of Banchory and 26 miles west of Aberdeen. 

By car

The entrance and main drive are signposted off the A980 (Alford to Banchory road).

Please note that some route planning sites and sat-nav systems will provide directions to reach the castle via the south drive. The south drive is not accessible to vehicles and there is no parking available, as the properties at the end of the drive are privately owned.

Please see the Planning your Visit page for further detailed instructions on arriving by car

By public transport

There are bus services to Alford, Lumphanan and Aboyne, from where you can then take a taxi to Craigievar. It is advisable to pre-arrange the taxi for both directions.

Parking

Car parking is free for members; otherwise it is £5. 

  • The parking machine accepts coins and card.
  • The car park is 300m from the castle.
  • What3Words for the car park entrance: ///smashes.began.masks

Accessible Blue Badge parking

Blue Badge car parking spaces are available in the main car park, with priority drop-off also available adjacent to the castle. Please contact the castle to arrange this on 01339 883635.

Expand image 1: A wide path leaves a car park area, made of compacted gravel. The path crosses a wooden bridge. There is a toilet block in the far corner of the car park. Expand image 2: A wide gravel track runs along an avenue of green leafy trees.

Dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the castle and grounds. On the wider estate, dogs are welcome but must be kept on leads and under close control. Areas of the estate have grazing livestock and nesting birds.

Mobile signal

3G/4G phone coverage can be very poor. 

Signal is limited inside the castle, but staff and volunteers will always be close by. All staff carry radios to raise the alarm in the event of an emergency.

Expand image 1: A small black spaniel stands in an old open doorway at the top of some stone steps. Through the door we can see parkland and trees. The door is wooden with many metal studs.

Facilities

Toilets

There is a toilet block in the car park – please note there are no toilets in the castle. 

  • There are 3 unisex cubicles in one section.
  • There is 1 accessible toilet with baby-changing facilities in another section.

Shop

A small shop can be found inside the castle, selling a range of souvenirs and bespoke Craigievar-inspired products.

  • There is one 10cm step into the castle and four 15–20cm steps down to the shop.
  • The floor is formed of old stone slabs.
  • The counter height is 90cm.
Expand image 1: A small gift shop in the basement of a castle with thick stone walls and a barrel-arched ceiling. Postcards, pink tartan scarves and other souvenirs are arranged on shelves and tables. Expand image 2: A white stone toilet block in the corner of a car park, with dark trees behind it. A parking machine stands just in front of it. Expand image 3: Looking inside an accessible toilet cubicle. There are hand rails either side of the small hand basin, and one beside the toilet. The floor is tiled.

Barmkin kiosk

Although there is not a tearoom at Craigievar Castle, we do have the Barmkin kiosk just beside the castle, with nearby picnic benches. The kiosk sells hot and cold drinks, pre-wrapped cakes, crisps and ice creams.

  • Counter height is 1m.
  • You can access the kiosk via a set of stone steps or walk round the end of the barmkin wall on sloping grass.
Expand image 1: A stone kiosk with a wooden green porch and hatch opening. A range of crisps and snacks are on shelves beside the counter and a chalk menu. A row of bins stands by the wall on the right. Expand image 2: A gravel path leads towards a very thick stone wall, with a gateway cut through it. The gateway is accessed by around 10 shallow and uneven stone steps.

Getting around the castle

The castle is accessed via the main entrance. We operate guided tours only, on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance booking is not possible. 

Tickets should be bought well in advance of the tour from the shop in the castle. 

Tours are limited to a maximum of 10 people per tour and run at approximately 45-minute intervals during opening hours.

  • The front door is 80cm wide and has a 10cm step.
  • Access to the tour is via steep stone steps –  there are 11 to the first floor (Great Hall) and then the rest of the way is up narrow, steep, stone, spiral staircases.
  • There are several steps between rooms.
  • There are handrails on the staircases.
  • There are 140 steps to navigate in total (70 up from the ground floor and 70 back down).

Please note that no artificial light is used in the castle, allowing visitors to share the experience of eight generations of the Forbes family and view the castle interiors and collections as the family did for 300 years.

Expand image 1: A small arched door in the bottom of a pink-walled tower of Craigievar Castle. There is a gravel area outside. A black ramp leads into the doorway. Expand image 2: A close-up of the wide but uneven stone staircase in Craigievar Castle. The steps are wide and shallow. There is a partial rope hand rail on the left and a wooden one on the right further up. Expand image 3: The great hall in Craigievar Castle, showing the restored white plaster ceiling. A grand wooden table stands in the middle of the room, which has a blue tartan carpet.

Getting around the grounds

The paths between the car park and castle are even.

There is no formal garden at Craigievar, but the castle is surrounded by a delightful lawn and then woodland. Two trails lead you through the woodland or up onto the hill behind. 

  • The trails are waymarked.
  • The paths are steep and uneven with stones and tree roots.
  • Residual damage from storms have weakened some tree roots to the extent that any high winds may cause further fallen branches and trees. We check the trails regularly and may need to close them at short notice.
Expand image 1: A gravel path leads towards Craigievar Castle, with grass and trees either side. The surface is well compacted. A bollard stands in the middle of the path to prevent vehicular access. Expand image 2: A wide gravel path surrounds the pink walls of Craigievar Castle. Expand image 3: The pink-walled Craigievar Castle is glimpsed through leafy green trees in a woodland.

Guide last updated: July 2025

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