Beaufort Castle
Beaufort Castle is located near Beauly in Inverness-shire in Scotland. There has been a castle on this site since the 12th century. The original castle was built by the Byset family, but ownership moved to the Fraser’s in the late 13th century and it became the traditional seat of the Lords Lovat. The castle was besieged by the English in 1303, and then attacked and burned by Oliver Cromwell’s forces in the 1650’s. Simon Fraser, 12th Lord Lovat inherited the castle in 1699. Simon Fraser believed in the Jacobite cause and found himself exiled to France and then imprisoned for carrying messages to Scotland. He returned to Scotland in 1714 and renounced the Jacobite cause in return for his estates and a full pardon. He planned to construct a new house, but the construction was never started due to the Jacobite Rising of 1745, in which Lovat had continued his allegiance, regardless to telling the English Crown otherwise. Simon was captured and executed after the Battle of Culloden and the title of peerage was attained, but restored in 1857. Beaufort Castle was razed by the Duke of Cumberland. The castle was considered forfeit and run by the Forfeited Estates Commissioners, this commission was appointed by parliament and in charge of disposing of confiscated estates. A small house was built on the site of the demolished castle around 1746 to house the estate manager. In 1774, the house was returned to Lovat’s son, Simon Fraser of Lovat, who commanded the 78th Fraser Highlanders for the British Army. In 1815, the estate was inherited by Thomas Fraser of Strichen who commissioned the house to be extended. It was his son Simon Fraser, 13th Lord Lovat who built the baronial mansion that is seen today, which incorporated part of the 18th century house. The castle was sold in 1994 to meet inheritance taxes. Beaufort Castle boasts 23 rooms, a private Catholic Chapel, and a stone wall of the original Dounie Castle. The property once sat on 189,500 acres with walled gardens and ornamental walks, but the land was divided into 39 lots when the estate was sold. The castle is not open to the public.
