The Gargoyles and Cannons of Craigievar Castle

6 April 2011

The flamboyant tower-house of Craigievar has been a striking feature of the Aberdeenshire landscape for nearly 400 years. Built in 1626 for the Aberdonian merchant William Forbes – known as ‘Danzig Willie’ because of his extensive Baltic trading connections – much of Craigievar’s structure is believed to have been the work of the famous master mason John Bel.

Over the centuries, the 37 decorative stone cannons and 9 waterspouts which once bristled from the upper reaches of the tower-house were lost to damage and decay. In 2009 a project was undertaken by the National Trust for Scotland to reinstate the carvings, involving skilled stone masons working from the drawings of RCAHMS surveyor John Borland. With the completed sculptures now a key feature of the restored exterior of Craigievar, this new, highly-illustrated guidebook from RCAHMS uses photographs and drawings to examine the carvings’ intricate designs and iconography in fine detail.

Out now priced £5.00

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