only a dream away ..........

Cruden Bay

A Guided Tour

As you approach the Castle from the south west via the Church car park along what was once the grand drive, try to ignore the ruins before you and try to imagine the Castle as it was.

Imagine climbing the 14 granite steps into the Porch then enter the Vestibule. Left takes you into the Billiard room, with its two windows, just off to your left in the round tower is the toilet. Back into the Billiards room again and walk through to the Nursery located at the west gable.

As you leave the children playing in the nursery and stroll along the corridor, to your right, is the inner court yard, to your left a series of three bedrooms separated from each other by individual dressing rooms. Continue on to the Kitchen and then to the working part of the house.

Left here in to the scullery,then on to the brew house and into the coach house onwards leads you in to the large central court yard with numerous stables off also a carpenters shop, blacksmiths shop, boiler room, slaughter house and coal store.

Returning to the kitchen remembering not to disrupt the staff too much. Turning now to the Dinning room and on to the Library with its collection of 4000 books kept in large oak cases including 360 volumes of books bequeathed by James Drummond , Bishop of Brechin to the 12th Earl in 1696.Then the 2000 volumes collected by various members of the family through the ages; A quick glance through the collection while no one is looking reveals a couple of books autographed by the last Earl of Kilmarnock, Beheaded in 1746 another 4 sets of books on the art of sailing and fighting the Dutch in 1672 signed by James, Prince of York, later King James 2nd. Before leaving the Library pass an admiring look over the fine paintings which adorn the walls including portraits by Sir Joshua and Sir Peter Reynolds, Vandyke, Gainsborough and Sir Thomas Lawrence.

From the Library, Ignoring the corridor and opening the large double doors allowing access to the vast Drawing room and its huge bay window allowing views of the vast North Sea.

Leaving the drawing room and making your way past Lady Erroll's bed room dressing rooms and family rooms and back to the vestibule. From here turn right, along the central corridor to the large and unusual octangular function Hall. Where many a Grand Ball was held.