Crathes Castle
Crathes Castle is a 16th century castle in northeast Scotland. It is 1.2 km east of Banchory. On the official register, it is a category A listed building.
Castle near Banchory
One of the best-known places to visit in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
#309 of the 8,556 museums, castles, gardens and other attractions we list, by how widely it is covered (15 Wikipedias). About ↓
Just outside Banchory
Crathes Castle is 1.2 km east of Banchory. Towns near it ↓
Cared for by National Trust for Scotland
One of the places National Trust for Scotland looks after; members usually get in free. About ↓
Category A listed building
On the official list of protected heritage; Banchory has 22 listed buildings in all, on its History page. About ↓
Written from OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, NRS’s localities and Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
A month-by-month guide
Afternoons in Banchory peak at 17–19°C, June to August.
Crathes Castle
The site is kept up by National Trust for Scotland. There are Wikipedia articles on it in 15 languages. Top of the 10 other places within 15 km is Drum Castle, 7.2 km off.
- Type
- Castle
- Run by
- National Trust for Scotland
- Listed
- Category A listed building
- Wikipedias
- Covered in 15 languages
- Town
- 1.2 km east of Banchory
- Official site
- nts.org.uk/Property/Crathes-Castle-Garden-and-Estate
Where it sits
Find Crathes Castle in orange; each number is a place listed below.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · NRS locality 2022
Towns near Crathes Castle
Westhill tops the 8 for size, at 11,778 people. These are the towns that list it, beginning with its own.
Banchory
Peterculter
Westhill
Milltimber
Compare the 8 towns
| Town | Where Crathes Castle is | People | Places to visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banchory | 1.2 km west of it | 7,582 | 5 |
| Peterculter | 11 km east of it | 4,359 | 5 |
| Westhill | 14 km northeast of it | 11,778 | 1 |
| Milltimber | 14 km east of it | 3,049 | 6 |
| Stonehaven | 17 km southeast of it | 11,164 | 6 |
| Kingswells | 17 km northeast of it | 4,776 | 4 |
| Newtonhill | 18 km east of it | 3,182 | 1 |
| Portlethen | 18 km east of it | 8,965 | 3 |
Make a day of it near Crathes Castle
Nearby, 10 places within 15 km include 3 castles, a heritage railway and a historic house.
Castle · National Trust for ScotlandDrum Castle7.2 km away2
Heritage railwayRoyal Deeside Railway900 m away3
CastleTilquhillie Castle2.9 km away4CastleCastleMidmar Castle8.9 km away5Historic houseHistoric houseKincardine Castle14 km away6
GardenDrum Castle Rose Garden7.5 km away7MuseumMuseumBanchory Museum4 km away8Theme parkTheme parkThe Den & the Glen13 km awayWithin 15 km, close and well known first. Numbers match the map.
Crathes Castle: what to know
Where is Crathes Castle?
Crathes Castle is 1.2 km east of Banchory, Aberdeenshire.
What is Crathes Castle?
16th century castle in northeast Scotland.
Who runs Crathes Castle?
National Trust for Scotland, so members usually get in free; check opening times before you go.
When is the best time to visit Crathes Castle?
June to August are the warmest months in Banchory, with afternoon highs of 17–19°C (Met Office 1991–2020 averages).
Is Crathes Castle a listed building?
Yes: category A listed building.
What else is there to see near Crathes Castle?
Within 15 km: Drum Castle (7.2 km), Royal Deeside Railway (900 m), Tilquhillie Castle (2.9 km) and Midmar Castle (8.9 km).
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the NRS 2022 locality (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Crathes Castle: Oyoyoy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Drum Castle: Ikiwaner, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Royal Deeside Railway: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tilquhillie Castle: Peter Ward, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Drum Castle Rose Garden: Watty62, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.