TravBuddy.com: Aberdeenshire Travel Blogs and Reviews Copyright 2005 TravBuddy LLC http://www.travbuddy.com/ The latest travel journal entries and travel reviews from Aberdeenshire en-us Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:36:58 PST 60 More on Slains Castle closing http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/20702/SLAINS-RUIN-CLOSED-TO-VISITORS-Aberdeenshire-1 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:36:58 PST 'Dracula's ruin' comes back from the dead Slains Castle, reputedly the inspiration for the vampire's fortress, is to become holiday flatsPaul Kelb… Aberdeenshire, Scotland>, Dec 02, 2007

'Dracula's ruin' comes back from the dead

Slains Castle, reputedly the inspiration for the vampire's fortress, is to become holiday flats
Paul Kelbie The Observer Sunday October 14 2007

Silhouetted against an expanse of fields that were once the scene of a bloody slaughter of the Danes by the Scots, the ruins of Slains Castle casts an eerie shadow over a rocky coastline where, legend has it, the ghosts of shipwrecked sailors emerge from their watery graves once a year.
 
Now the dramatic fortress, which fired the imagination of horror writer Bram Stoker and is credited with being the true inspiration for Dracula's castle, is itself about to rise from the dead - to become a holiday home for tourists.
 
Slains Castle, one of Scotland's most spectacular ruins, sits on the edge of cliffs overlooking the former Victorian holiday resort of Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire.
 
Once home to the Earls of Errol, the 16th century castle, which has been in disrepair for more than 70 years, was in its heyday when Stoker began visiting the area in the 1890s and took it as his model for the vampire's home. Now roofless, the castle, about 45 minutes from Aberdeen airport, is to be restored and turned into 35 luxury holiday flats for tourists and vampire hunters alike.
 
Proposals to resurrect the ruin have been put forward before, but planning and administrative wrangles, together with some initial opposition from local people, threatened to scupper the plans. However, developers have now set a definite date of 2008 to start work.
 
'Building projects can take a long time to materialise. Planning for Slains Castle has been a very involved process and there's still further work to be done,' said Douglas Forrest, the architect behind the new scheme.
 
'A development project will certainly be under way next year. We aim to rebuild the shell of the castle to its original form, and when it's complete it will be almost exactly like the building that inspired Bram Stoker - he was inspired by a complete building, not a ruin.
 
Stoker, who for several years either stayed at Cruden Bay or rented a cottage at the nearby fishing hamlet of Whinnyfold overlooking the castle, is known to have written at least four other supernatural stories inspired by the ghostly legends of the area.
 
'Bram Stoker stayed at Cruden Bay every year from 1893 onwards and it has always been reputed that he drew his inspiration for Dracula's castle from Slains Castle,' said Forrest. 'The idea is to retain as much of the original facade as possible - 100 per cent. We see no reason why there should be any alteration externally in restoring the building and subdividing it.'
 
Using many original archive documents from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, hundreds of photographs from the late 19th century and early 20th century, and some original plans, the designers hope to reconstruct the outside of the castle almost exactly as it was when Bram Stoker first saw it.
 
For years the village of Whitby in North Yorkshire has done well out of the Dracula legend because the book recounts that the count landed there after a shipwreck. However, supporters of Slains Castle claim early drafts of the novel had Dracula landing at Cruden Bay, and have accused Whitby of luring vampire fans under false pretences.
 
The renovation of the castle and the benefits it could bring to the local economy have not been lost on tourism officials, who are quick to point out the area has more to offer, including a proposed leisure complex backed by US tycoon Donald Trump. 'For the north-east of Scotland, having a project like Slains Castle and in all likelihood the Trump development quite nearby will be a spectacular development,' said Forrest.

]]> SLAINS RUIN CLOSED TO VISITORS http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/20702/SLAINS-RUIN-CLOSED-TO-VISITORS-Aberdeenshire-1 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:36:58 PST SLAINS CASTLES RUINS CLOSED TO VISITORS From the ABERDEEN EVENING EXPRESS12 October 2007 A Historic North-east ruined castle has been closed to th… Aberdeenshire, Scotland>, Dec 02, 2007

SLAINS CASTLES RUINS CLOSED TO VISITORS

From the ABERDEEN EVENING EXPRESS
12 October 2007

A Historic North-east ruined castle has been closed to the public for the first time since the 1920s.

Slains Castle near Cruden Bay, the reputed inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula, has been fenced off ahead of controversial plans to convert it to holiday homes.

The move came after insurers advised new owners Slains Partnership it was no longer safe to allow visitors inside.

The partnership's architect, Huntly-based Douglas Forrest said: "Essentially it came down to the health and safety regulations.

"The ruin is due to become a development site and we can't have people running around inside it."

Thousands of families visit the site every year, with fans of the vampire classic travelling from throughout the world to see the castle.

Stoker was inspired to write his Dracula novel after seeing the fortress on a trip to Cruden Bay. He described as "the castle of the dead."

 

]]> Scotland's Castle Trail http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/20511/Scotlands-Castle-Trail-Aberdeenshire-1 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:36:58 PST Scotland's Castles and the Aberdeenshire Castle Trail Step back in time on Scotland's only Castle Trail. Aberdeenshire is matchless in the ri… Aberdeenshire, Scotland>, Nov 29, 2007

Scotland's Castles and the Aberdeenshire Castle Trail

Step back in time on Scotland's only Castle Trail. Aberdeenshire is matchless in the richness of its castle tradition, and Scotland's Castle Trail brings together some of the most splendid examples of castellated architecture together on a clearly sign-posted tourist trail. But don't stop there -- there are many gorgeous castles to be explored scattered all across the landscape of Scotland, and each of them worth leaving the beaten track for a glimpse and a photie!

Moneysaving Memberships for Tourists (and Locals!)

Many of the castles in Scotland are owned by the National Trust. I've copied some information below for anyone interested in visited National Trust properties in the UK and elsewhere. It's a great idea if you plan to see a lot of the castles and other historic sites, and it saved us a bundle of money! Much less expensive than paying the individual entrance fees, and the guidebooks are really helpful in deciding which places we wanted to see. Here's the info and some links & phone numbers if you're interested in joining or reading more. We HIGHLY recommend it!

The National Trust in Scotland and Overseas
 
Your membership will get you free admission to properties cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, including Inverewe Garden, Bannockburn, Culloden and Robert Adam’s masterpiece, Culzean Castle, plus...
 
The National Trust also has agreements with a number of other countries. If you’re visiting any of these places and have a valid membership card, you could visit their National Trust facilities for free or at a concessionary rate. Be sure to check that your membership is valid before you go as you will only be allowed access on presentation of a valid membership card.
 
There are 13 countries with similar organisations with whom the National Trust has reciprocal visiting arrangements for its members:
Join from the USA
 
More than 40,000 Americans belong to the Royal Oak Foundation, the National Trust's US membership affiliate.
 
A not-for-profit organisation, the Royal Oak helps the Trust through the generous tax-deductible support of members and friends by making grants towards its work.
 
Royal Oak member benefits include:
  • Free admission to properties of the National Trust and National Trust for Scotland
  • The National Trust Handbook
  • Three editions of the National Trust members' magazine
  • The quarterly Royal Oak newsletter
  • Royal Oak also awards scholarships to US residents to study in Britain and sponsors lectures, tours and events in both the US and UK, designed to inform Americans of the Trust's work.
Contact the Royal Oak Foundation:
 
Postal address:
 
The Royal Oak Foundation
26 Broadway #950
New York
NY 10004
USA
 
Tel: +1 (212) 480 2889
Fax: +1 (212) 785 7234
In the US, call toll-free:
1 800 913 6565
 
Email: general@royal-oak.org
 
Website: www.royal-oak.org

 
Join the National Trust:
 
Worldwide:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-index.htm
 
From the USA:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-trust/w-support/w-jointoday/w-jointoday-join_from_usa.htm
 
 
Historic Scotland Memberships
 
You may also want to consider joining Historic Scotland as many of the historic properties, including Edinburgh Castle, Skara Brae in Orkney, Stirling Castle, Urquhart Castle Loch Ness, are maintained by them: http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/

 

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