The local community organisation behind the restoration of Braemar Castle in Aberdeenshire has confirmed work is now starting on the castle, following support from donors.
It received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland, which means the castle can now be restored and its grounds re-developed.
Braemar Castle has been under community management since 2007 and has been a feature in the Cairngorms National Park for more than 400 years.
Built in 1628 by John Erskine, the 6th Earl of Mar, as his Highland hunting lodge, it was a target in the first Jacobite uprising in 1689 and torched by John Farquharson of Inverey.
Following the Battle of Culloden, the castle was used as a garrison for Hanoverian soldiers to suppress any lingering Jacobite support.
The Raising the Standard project will let Braemar Community advance its goal of conserving the castle as a visitor attraction.
The plans will also create a community programme, so that the castle contributes to the future welfare of the whole region. It will include a programme of learning and engagement will give opportunities for schools, charities and individuals to grow through creative activities, both at the castle, as well as off-site.
Braemar Community chair Simon Blackett said: “We are grateful to our funders for recognising the importance of this project and for supporting us in making our vision for Braemar Castle a reality.
“We, as a community group, have been gearing up to this moment for over 14 years and are delighted that capital works can finally begin in 2022.
“Our vision for Braemar Castle is much more than simply repairing and rebuilding walls, although that is a very important element of the work, it’s about breaking down barriers and reaching out into the local community and further afield, with initiatives that can help everyone, including some of society’s most vulnerable.”
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