Overview of Drumtochty Castle

A fine castellated mansion house in the Glen of Drumtochty in S Aberdeenshire, Drumtochty Castle lies within 141 ha (350 acres) of woodland overlooking the Luther Water 2 miles (3 km) west northwest of the settlement of Auchenblae and 5 miles (8 km) north northwest of Laurencekirk. It was built in 1812 to the designs of James Gillespie Graham (1776 - 1855) for James Gammell, an exceptionally wealthy Greenock banker, who died here in 1825. The house passed to his grandson, Major Andrew Gammell (1803-83) is known to have extended the property in 1839. Drumtochty then passed to his nephew Rev. James Stewart Gammell (1826-99), whose son, Sir Sydney James Gammell (1867 - 1946), sold the property to the Norwegian government in exile during World War II to be used as a boarding school for refugee children. The house continued as a school until the 1970s and was then restored as a hotel.