Drum Castle, Garden & Estate

Drum Castle pairs a 13th-century square tower, one of the oldest in Scotland, with a Jacobean mansion, and belonged to the Irvine family for 24 generations after Robert the Bruce granted the Royal Forest of Drum to William de Irwyn in 1323. Their story runs through the 16th-century chapel, the library of 4,000 books and the Jacobite tales of the great hall, told on the National Trust for Scotland's guided tours. The walled garden is planted in four quadrants tracing rose growing from the 17th to the 20th century, and the Old Wood of Drum, oak forest dating from the 1700s, shelters red kites, roe deer, red squirrels and badgers, with trails, play areas and a hilltop viewpoint. Reviewers rate the guides highly and Mary's Larder tearoom for its pies. Tips from visitors: check the next tour slot on arrival; dogs are fine on leads in the grounds but not in the walled garden; and buses on the A93 stop half a mile away.