Grampian, Scotland, was built started with a 13th century keep, to which was later added a Jacobean mansion house ; has belonged to the Irvine family for 653 years; fine furniture and paintings, the 16th-century chapel contains a beautiful stained glass window;
Drum Castle has the oldest keep in Scotland (13th century) – and is the oldest intact building in the care of the Trust. It is an excellent example of how grand families extended and changed their original defensive homes, as time went by, to match their requirements. Visitors can experience Drum’s blend of building styles: with its medieval tower, Jacobean mansion and Victorian additions.
Shortly before William the Conqueror invaded England, Malcolm Canmore defeated Macbeth in a battle near Lumphanan in 1057. The head of Macbeth was supposedly handed on a plate to Canmore at Kincardine o’ Neil. Deeside was then thickly wooded and often used for hunting by the Scottish kings and their allies. Much of the valley was part of the Earldom of Mar but by the early thirteenth century only the western part of the valley belonged to the Earldom, the eastern end being divided into estates such as Drum and Crathes .
For several hundred years the history of the valley was much affected by wars between England and Scotland, changing allegiances and straightforward territorial disputes. At regular intervals down the valley great castles and fortified homes were built. The names associated with these castles have a potent Scottish ring to them -although none began with ‘Mac’. They include Irvine of Drum Castle, Burnett of Crathes, Innes of Raemoir, Douglas of Tilquhillie, Gordons of Aboyne (and of Abergeldie), Forbes of Craigievar, Farquharson of Monaltrie and Invercauld and Erskine of Mar. (The names of the main hotels in Deeside reflect this history although two, Huntly Arms at Aboyne and Fife Arms at Braemar, were so-named because the lairds were also the Marquis of Huntly and Duke of Fife respectively.) -> http://www.royal-deeside.org.uk/RDhistory/history2.htm