Fyvie Castle — Curse of the Five Towers

Your quest for the 'Weeping Stones' begins at the entrance to Fyvie Castle estate, a National Trust for Scotland site, where the first tower, Preston Tower, was erected in 1272 by the Preston family. This castle, extended over 800 years by five successive families, is an iconic monument for historical tourism in Aberdeenshire. Exploring the Fyvie site, you will discover how each family left its mark, adding a new tower and a layer of history to the original edifice. The route will lead you through the inner courtyards, where clues are hidden in the architecture forged by centuries of construction and renovation.

Continue your exploration towards Loch Fyvie, the natural lake adjacent to the estate, often mentioned in local legends as the possible location of one of the curse stones. Fyvie Castle's gardens, designed over centuries, integrate this body of water into their aesthetic. A stroll along its banks offers a different perspective on Fyvie Castle and its surroundings. It is here that one of the cursed stones is said to have been thrown, an attempt to break the spell that only deepened the mystery at the heart of Aberdeenshire-et-nord-est.

The path then leads you to Meldrum Tower, added in the 15th century by the Meldrum family, which incorporates Scottish Renaissance architectural elements. Then, Seton Tower, erected in the 17th century by the Seton family, houses collections of weapons and armor on display. It is in the shadow of this tower that the Green Lady, Lilias Drummond, wife of Alexander Seton, who died in 1601, is sometimes seen. The mystery of these apparitions enriches the history of this haunted Scottish castle, and she might give you a clue to the location of the next stone.

Your investigation takes you to Gordon Tower, also built in the 17th century by the Gordon family, which is part of the castle's baroque extensions, and finally to Leith Tower, the most recent, added in the late 19th century by the Forbes-Leith family. Each tower, from the oldest to the most modern, testifies to the persistence of the curse's influence. The wide stone spiral staircase, one of Scotland's finest, connects these eras and families. It is in the heart of the Charter Room that one of the three 'weeping' stones was discovered and is now protected, but the secret chamber below, opened in the 19th century, caused the death of two lairds and the blindness of their wives.

As you complete your themed circuit in Fyvie, you will have unraveled the mysteries of this National Trust for Scotland monument. From Preston Tower to Leith Tower, passing by Loch Fyvie and the Charter Room, each historical site in Fyvie will have contributed to your understanding of the curse and the castle's history. This GPS treasure hunt will have introduced you to the heritage of Aberdeenshire-et-nord-est in an interactive way, leaving you with a unique vision of Fyvie's history and its ancient legends. You leave not only with memories, but also with the satisfaction of having unraveled the threads of a story spanning centuries.