Craigievar Castle is one of Scotland's best-preserved 17th-century tower houses, built by William Forbes in 1626 and displaying a distinctive architectural style with clean lower towers topped by ornate turrets. The castle features exceptional period features including stunning moulded plaster ceilings dating to 1624—among Scotland's first—and original family collections spanning over 300 years of Forbes family residence. Now managed by the National Trust for Scotland, the castle is only accessible by guided tour in small groups during summer months, as it has no artificial lighting to preserve its authentic character. Set 6 miles south of Alford with woodland trails and grounds to explore, the castle is famously said to have inspired Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle.
