From Susan Boag - Clan Fraser Society of UK & Scotland Newsletter #17

Before 1308-9 the Comyns, Earls of Buchan,. held all the land in the part of Aberdeenshire still known as Buchan. The Norse were defeated at the Battle of Largs in 1263 and their King Haakon died in the following year, but before that the Buchan coast was susceptible to Viking invasion.

The Earl of Buchan built a number of Castles along the coast as protection and it is thought that first stone castle on the site of Cairnbulg was probably one of those. Nowadays the Castle seems too far from the coast to be part of a coastal defence, but seems almost certain that when it was built it was right on the estuary of the Water of Philorth. On that part of the coast the sea has been receding in the last few hundred years. In fact, the river only settled into its present course in the late 1930’s and dunes opposite the castle have only grown up since then.

In the Wars of Independence, the Comyns sided with the English against Robert the Bruce, and in the winter of 1308-9 Bruce defeated the English at the battle of Barra Hill. Bruce then destroyed all the castles of the Earldom of Buchan so that they could never be held against him. The lands were divided among his supporters. The Earl of Ross then received the part of Buchan where Cairnbulg Castle now stands, along with the ruins of the first castle.

In 1375 Johanna, daughter and co-heiress of the 5th Earl of Ross, married Sir Alexander Fraser of Cowie, and the Ross lands in Buchan were her dowries. It seems that restoration of the Castle started in around 1380 as the main tower appears to date from that time and other parts from not much later. It is difficult to say exactly when any part of the castle was built, although we do know that it has been altered several times.

The family remained in the castle until late in the 16th century. Then Sir Alexander Fraser, 8th of Philorth, built the town of Fraserburgh, improved the harbour and built a University and another castle. As a result, perhaps not surprisingly, he became heavily in debt and in 1613 he had to sell Cairnbulg castle and a lot of the land.

The castle was sold to Alexander Fraser of Durris, on condition that should he or his descendants ever wish to sell, it would first be offered to Sir Alexander or his descendents. This agreement was not adhered to and the castle passed through a number of families.

Between 1775 and 1801 it was vandalised by George 3rd Earl of Aberdeen in order to rebuild other houses in the district where he kept his mistresses. By 1780 it was essentially a ruin. In 1896 Sir John Duthie owned the castle and he restored it using granite. He died in 1923 and Cairnbulg Castle was bought back by 21st Lord Saltoun.

At last the Castle had returned to the Philorth family after 300 years.