Tolquhon Castle

PricingHalf price in your first year of English Heritage membership, then freeEH memberHalf, then freeNon-member£8.50

EH members: half price, then freeInfo

Half price, then free, for English Heritage members

This place is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. First-year English Heritage members get 50% off the ticket price; members who have renewed get in free. Bring your valid membership card, and any pre-booked tickets, to ensure entry.

Pre-booking is recommended at Edinburgh Castle, Skara Brae, Stirling Castle, Blackness Castle, Urquhart Castle, Doune Castle and Maeshowe. Bookings are limited to six people per membership.
Bring the card itself: joint and family memberships admit the named holders only.
Historic Scotland does not offer reciprocal admission to National Trust properties, and a National Trust card is not accepted here.

More information

Entry

Non-member prices

Adult (aged 16 to 64)£8.50

Child (aged 7 to 15)£5.00

Concession (aged 65 and over)£6.80

Pricing details

In-person price; £7.50 booked online. One undated price table is published for the April to September season; recheck on reopening in 2027. Children under 7 free but need a ticket; up to two carers free per transaction; Young Scot card holders pay £1 online. Explorer Pass accepted in summer. Family tickets are mentioned but not priced; no joint ticket or audio guide. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.

In-person price on Historic Scotland's page, which gives £4.50 online; the webstore sells the child ticket at £3.50 online, so the page's child row may be out of date. Under-7s free with a ticket. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.

In-person price; £6 booked online. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.

ParkingParking not known

The Trust's page does not say how parking is charged.

Parking details

Historic Scotland says the main car park is level tarmac, the site entrance 80 m away along a level gravel path, and that there is a smaller gravel car park next to the visitor centre; coach parking is listed. No charge or free statement is published, so the status is recorded as unknown.

Driving pin: the main car park mapped on OpenStreetMap, 156 m from HES's pin. The castle lies about 1.5 miles north-west of Pitmedden and 2 miles south of Tarves, just off the B999. Historic Scotland names no bus service, only its journey planners.

About

Tolquhon Castle, near Tarves in rural Aberdeenshire, is one of the most picturesque castles in Grampian, a noble home for some 300 years. Its oldest part is Preston's Tower of the early 1400s, probably built by Sir John Forbes, who acquired the lands in 1420. Between 1584 and 1589 Sir William Forbes, 7th Lord of Tolquhon, rebuilt it, as a plaque by the entrance proudly records, with his architect Thomas Leiper, whose carved initials survive, an unusual signature for the time. Instead of a traditional tower house they grouped a three-storey residence and other ranges round a courtyard, with first-floor galleries for indoor recreation, a formal garden and a walled pleasance beyond. The twin-towered gatehouse, carved with figures probably of Sir William and his wife, was built more to show off than to defend. Go below stairs to the bakehouse, brewhouse, wine cellar and kitchen, find Sir William's hidden strongroom, and climb to the battlement viewpoint. Reviewers praise the knowledgeable staff and the children's activity bags.

ClosedPick a day for times and prices

Until 31 Mar: Closed
From 1 Apr: Wed–Sun 10:00–16:30, last entry 16:00

Today, Saturday 24 October

Tolquhon CastleClosed

Opening times may change at short notice.

1 April to 30 September Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 4.30pm, closed Mondays and Tuesdays; closed for lunch 12.30pm to 1.30pm; last entry 30 minutes before closing; closed 1 October to 31 March. Historic Scotland recommends booking an entry slot in advance to guarantee entry. No notice on 18 October 2026.

The visitor centre is step-free, with an adapted toilet, and is left by four steps or a short ramp. The castle is 75 m from the visitor centre up a gravel path; its ground floor is gravel and stone with numerous steps and uneven floors. The hall and gallery are up a historic stone stair of 14 steps, and the battlement viewing point up a spiral stair of 19 steps. The pleasances are grass. Toilets and a picnic area; no shop, cafe or audio guide.

Photo: The twin-towered gatehouse of Tolquhon Castle, approached across the lawn on a gravel path. Sagaciousphil, CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tolquhon_Castle_03.JPG. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.