We are undertaking a project to carry out essential maintenance work to Craigievar Castle. This involves high level repairs to the roof and harling on the building as well as refreshing the lime wash that gives Craigievar its distinctive pink colour.
The castle is covered with a coating known as harling, the purpose of which is to hide the stone from view and also to help protect the building from the weather. Thanks to a previous pioneering project by the Trust to remove a cement-based coating the harling on Craigievar is once again lime based. This is the traditional material for harling due to its ability to allow moisture within the buildings core to escape and its flexibility which means it is resistant to cracking with building movement.
The harling at high level areas however is subject to the wet Scottish weather, and localised, hard-to-access areas have become damaged. In order to continue to protect the castle and keep it looking vibrant the project will see specialist masons patch repair high-level harling.
Multiple coats of a special recipe of limewash will reinvigorate the pink tones of Craigievar’s walls. Also included in the repairs are masonry restoration, roof work, maintenance to interior plasterwork and conservation of the lower enclosing (or ‘barmkin’) wall. Visitors will be treated to a grand reveal in spring 2024, when the new exterior is unveiled.
Iain Hawkins, Regional Director for the North East: ‘Craigievar holds a special place in the hearts and minds of the local community, across Scotland and indeed globally, thanks in no small part to the castle’s famous pink exterior, which was introduced in 1824 by Sir John Forbes.
‘It’s our duty to ensure that this much-loved castle is protected against climate change in a way that is sympathetic to the natural environment and heritage of this magnificent building, and supportive of our Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone strategy. As a conservation charity, we rely on voluntary donations and membership support to care for and share special places like Craigievar Castle, so we have launched the “Pink Again” fundraising campaign to support this vital work. If you want to help us keep this enchanting castle safe from rainwater ingress and ensure that visitors can continue to fall in love with Craigievar for many generations to come, please consider donating to our campaign.’
Donate to Pink Again and help protect and restore Craigievar Castle
