Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate
The castle*, shop, tearoom and toilet facilities are open (Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon). The garden and grounds are open daily. Please see the Planning Your Visit section for more information. Please note that pre-booking is NOT required! *The castle will be closed on Sat 23 October for a private function but the tearoom, toilets and grounds will remain open as normal.
Planning your visit
We want you to enjoy your visit – your safety is our priority. This means we’ve had to make some changes so that we can keep everyone safe. Please read our Guide on what to expect before you set off.
This property is part of the ‘We’re Good to Go’ scheme, which means we have carried out an official COVID-19 risk assessment to check we have everything in place to reopen safely.
Please be aware that for the health and safety of visitors, volunteers and employees in our hospitality venues, we will record the name and contact details of everyone who enters in order to support NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect. This information will be used to enable NHS Scotland to contact you should you have been in the venue around the same time as someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. We are obliged to process this data to comply with The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 11) Regulations 2020. Please see our Data Protection page for further information.
Further to this, in National Trust for Scotland non-hospitality settings, where there is either a pre-booking system in place or there is the potential for close contact (eg in some of our smaller properties), we will ask visitors to provide limited contact information. This is for the purposes of managing the number of visitors and also to support NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect. For further information, please see our Data Protection page.
Drone flying is not permitted at this property without prior permission and approval. Commercial operators should contact the Trust’s Filming Manager at filming@nts.org.uk.
Please see our drop-down Facilities below for helpful information about planning your visit.
For more information about planning your visit, please see our frequently asked questions.
If you’d like to speak to us, we can be contacted by email on castlefraser@nts.org.uk or telephone 01330 833463.
Facilities & access
We have an ongoing programme of accessible content development. Detailed accessibility guides for the most visited Trust places are available on our Accessibility pages as well as links to useful resources.
We’d love you to visit the Euan’s Guide website to review the accessibility of Trust places and tell us (and others) what’s good and where we need to do better.
Disabled parking is available near the front of the castle.
There are accessible toilets in the courtyard near the shop and café (open Friday to Monday).
The tearoom is open for takeaway and limited indoor seating (Friday to Monday).
Coach parking is available 300m from the property.
Dogs are welcome in the grounds, but we ask that dogs are kept on the lead near the children’s play area and in the courtyard.
Car parking is available and is free for members.
Younger visitors love to explore the Woodland Secrets adventure playground, featuring wooden sculptures, a bamboo snake walk, tepees, a tree hut and a giant xylophone.
The castle is open for self-guided tours on Sundays until the end of October.
From the striking simplicity of the medieval Great Hall to the well-stocked library and Victorian bedrooms, a self-guided tour of the castle gives a sense of walking through history. Each laird stamped his personality on the family seat, from the various ways of spying on those in the Great Hall to trophies gathered on global adventures.
The panoramic views from the top of the round tower are spectacular, revealing the courtyard, gardens and estate beyond, ready to be explored. The distinctive peaks of Bennachie can be seen in the distance.
The shop sells a range of gifts.
The toilets are open at weekends.
There are two waymarked walks on the estate that offer magnificent views of the local area.
Miss Bristow’s Wood trail passes through a designed woodland, full of winding paths, pleasant glades and distant views.
The Alton Brae trail will take you past the Broad Walk of sycamores, through coniferous woodland and beside the Flight Pond, where you can spot brightly coloured dragonflies.
- There is limited access to the castle courtyard due to gravel. However, wheelchair access to the ground floor of the castle and our tearoom can be provided via the front door by contacting 01330 833463.
- There’s a digital screen in the reception area where visitors can look at the upper-floor rooms in more detail.
- The scented walled garden and adventure playground are accessible for wheelchairs.
Opening times
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Castle
Last entry to the castle is at 16.00. Please note the castle will be closed on Sat 23 October for a private function.
- 1 Jan–29 Apr, closed Current period30 Apr–31 Oct, Fri–Mon, 10.30–17.00 (last entry 16.00) 1 Nov–19 Dec, Sat–Sun, 10.30–16.00 20 Dec–6 Jan 2022, closed
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Shop
- 1 Jan–29 Apr, closed Current period30 Apr–31 Oct, Fri–Mon, 10.30–16.30 1 Nov–19 Dec, Sat–Sun, 10.30–16.00 20 Dec–6 Jan 2022, closed
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Tearoom
Takeaway and limited indoor seating available
- 1 Jan–29 Apr, closed Current period30 Apr–31 Oct, Fri–Mon, 10.30–16.00 1 Nov–19 Dec, Sat–Sun, 10.30–16.00 20 Dec–6 Jan, closed
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Garden
- Current period1 Jan–31 Dec 2021, daily, 10.00–16.00
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Grounds
- Current period1 Jan–31 Dec 2021, daily, dawn–dusk
Entry prices
- Adult
- £14.50
- Concession
- £11.00
- Family
- £33.00
- One adult family
- £27.50
- Young Scot
- £1.00