Exclusive-use castle
Forter Castle
Kirkton of Glenisla, Angus
Level 4 Castle-Style MansionLevel 4: a 16th-century tower house stood roofless for about 350 years before a full 1988 to 1990 rebuild. You sleep inside the old walls, but the floors, roof and interiors are modern.
Sleep inside the walls
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Forter Castle is a Category B listed 16th-century tower house near Kirkton of Glenisla, Angus, taken on an exclusive-use basis for up to 16 guests. It ranks as a Level 4 castle hotel: the historic walls survive, but the interior is a late 1980s rebuild. It suits large groups and wedding parties wanting a whole castle to themselves.
Quick facts
- Castle Authenticity Scale
- Level 4: Castle-Style Mansion
- Where you sleep
- Sleep inside the walls
- Built
- 1560
- Architecture
- L-plan tower house
- Heritage status
- Category B listed (LB11337)
- Rooms
- 7
- Sleeps
- 16
- Bedrooms
- 7
- Minimum stay (nights)
- 3
- Catering
- Self-catering only
- Dogs
- Up to three well-behaved dogs are allowed for a fee of £100 per dog per stay. Dogs must stay off the furnishings and beds and be kept within the grounds with the gate shut. (hotel policy)
- Restaurant
- No (hotel website)
- Weddings
- Yes (hotel website)
- Exclusive use
- Yes (hotel website)
- Listed on Booking.com
- Family rooms, Parking, Free wifi
- Last checked
- September 2026
The story
The story of Forter Castle
James Ogilvy, 5th Lord of Airlie, built Forter Castle in 1560 as an L-plan tower house guarding the entrance to the Balloch pass into Glenshee. The main block measured about 12 by 8 metres, with a square tower of 6.4 metres at the south-east corner. His grandson, made 1st Earl of Airlie by Charles I in 1639, refused to sign the National Covenant, and in 1640 Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl of Argyll, burned Forter along with the Ogilvys' castles at Airlie and Craig.
The Ogilvy family moved their seat to Cortachy Castle and left Forter as a shell. Historic Environment Scotland's listing, drawn up in 1971, still describes it as a ruined four-storey tower house with a vaulted basement, and notes that the sacking of 1640 was later commemorated in a ballad.
Businessman Robert Pooley bought the ruin in 1988 for £15,000 and rebuilt it over two years, reopening the castle in 1990. His daughter, interior designer Katharine Pooley, took over the property in 2003 and runs it as an exclusive-use holiday let and wedding venue.
The sleep
Rooms at Forter Castle
Forter Castle has seven named bedrooms across the tower house, sleeping up to 12 guests comfortably, plus an attic garret with four single beds that brings total capacity to 16. Rooms include the Laird's Room, which runs the width of the castle with its own library and sofa, and several chambers with four-poster beds.
There are four bathrooms, some with free-standing baths. Because the whole building was rebuilt from a roofless ruin in the late 1980s, the floors, staircases and room layouts are a modern reconstruction inside the original 16th-century walls, rather than surviving medieval interiors.
The castle is taken on an exclusive-use basis, so no other guests share the building during a stay.
The table
Eating at Forter Castle
Forter Castle operates on a self-catering basis only. The kitchen is equipped for groups cooking for themselves, and the Great Hall, which spans the width of the castle under a hand-painted ceiling, seats 16 for dining.
There is no restaurant on site and the castle's own site does not mention arranging outside caterers, so groups should plan to shop and cook, or bring in their own catering separately.
The grounds
Around Forter Castle
The castle sits within Cairngorms National Park in Glen Isla, with views of the surrounding hills from several rooms. Guests park on the castle's own gravel driveway; parking outside the gates or on the lawn is not permitted.
Wifi is provided over a satellite connection, which the castle's own terms describe as becoming more reliable over time but not always working, so it should not be relied on completely.
The castle has an on-site chapel licensed for civil, religious and humanist ceremonies, including same-sex marriages, with day events for up to 24 guests.
What we'd flag
What we'd flag
- The interior is a full late 1980s rebuild inside a 16th-century shell, not surviving historic rooms, so this suits people who want the walls and setting rather than untouched period interiors.
- Catering is self-catering only. There is no restaurant and no confirmed on-site caterer, so groups need to plan meals themselves.
- Wifi runs over satellite and is not guaranteed to stay connected throughout a stay.
Who it's for
Who Forter Castle suits
Forter Castle suits large family or friend groups and wedding parties who want an entire tower house to themselves for at least three nights, with room for up to 16 people and an on-site chapel for ceremonies. It also suits dog owners, since up to three well-behaved dogs are allowed for a fee.
It is not a fit for couples wanting a small room in a staffed hotel, since the whole castle is let as one exclusive-use booking with self-catering only and no restaurant. Bookings run in fixed patterns of a long weekend, a midweek stay or a full week, so it also does not suit travellers wanting a single night.
Where Forter Castle is.
Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.
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Dalmunzie Castle Hotel
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Forter Castle: questions
Is Forter Castle a real castle?
Yes. It began as a 16th-century L-plan tower house built in 1560, and it is a Category B listed building. It stood as a roofless ruin for about 350 years before being rebuilt between 1988 and 1990, so guests sleep within the historic walls but inside largely modern interiors.
Who built Forter Castle?
James Ogilvy, 5th Lord of Airlie, built Forter Castle in 1560. His grandson's refusal to sign the National Covenant led to the castle being burned in 1640 by Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl of Argyll.
Are dogs allowed at Forter Castle?
Yes. Up to three well-behaved dogs can stay for £100 per dog per stay. They must be kept in the grounds with the gate shut, off the furnishings, and are not allowed on the beds.
Can you get married at Forter Castle?
Yes. The castle is licensed for civil, religious and humanist ceremonies, including same-sex marriages, and has its own on-site chapel. Overnight capacity is 16 guests, with day events for up to 24.
Is Forter Castle exclusive use?
Yes. The whole castle is booked by one group at a time, self-catering only, for a minimum of three nights over a weekend or longer stays midweek or by the week.
Where do you park at Forter Castle?
Guests use the castle's own gravel driveway. Parking outside the gates or on the lawn is not permitted under the booking terms.
Sources and checks
Last checked: September 2026. We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- portal.historicenvironment.scot: Category B listing, 1971 listing date, description as a ruined L-plan tower house, note on the 1640 sacking and ballad, parish and grid reference
- fortercastle.com: 1560 build date, Robert Pooley restoration 1988 to 1990, Katharine Pooley ownership, general description
- fortercastle.com: names of the seven bedrooms and other rooms
- fortercastle.com: sleeping capacity of 12 plus a 4-bed attic garret for 16 total, self-catering basis, dog policy
- fortercastle.com: booking structure of weekly, midweek and weekend stays
- fortercastle.com: minimum night structure, detailed dog policy and fee, parking rule, wifi reliability
- fortercastle.com: wedding licensing, on-site chapel, guest capacity for weddings
- stravaiging.com: builder James Ogilvy 5th Lord of Airlie, 1st Earl of Airlie and the National Covenant refusal, 1640 burning, Ogilvy move to Cortachy, Pooley purchase price and restoration timeline, Katharine Pooley taking over in 2003