01 / Understanding the castle’s age
An old date and a much-altered house
The date 1376 appears repeatedly in accounts of Hallgreen. Its trail is less straightforward than a foundation stone might suggest. The New Statistical Account of 1845 described a worn date on the castle which was thought to read 1376. Historic Environment Scotland’s Trove record preserves that wording, including the uncertainty, alongside later descriptions of the building.
The protected structure is a three-storey tower house built mainly in the sixteenth century, with substantial later changes. Its Category B listing describes rubble masonry and slate, altered and enlarged during the nineteenth century. Nigel Tranter’s account, also preserved by Trove, identifies an earlier core within the later house.
This gives Hallgreen a history of adaptation. The early date belongs to the story of its origins; the surviving fabric records several building campaigns. Looking at the whole house means allowing those periods to coexist, rather than expecting every wall, window and roofline to belong to one medieval moment.
02 / Details in the surviving fabric
Gun loops, corner turrets and family pride
The council’s historic environment record describes an L-shaped castle, with the older work concentrated on the south and east fronts. Openings for firearms, splayed widely through the walls, survive among its defensive features. Some may belong to an earlier building. The east side was partly rebuilt, while corner turrets remained through later alterations.
A larger residence was attached to the north and west. The record also notes a marriage lintel dated 1687 and a decorated plaster ceiling bearing arms and the date 1683. These details bring domestic ambition into view alongside defence. Family identity could be displayed over an opening or overhead in a room used to receive guests.
They are useful features to ask about on an arranged visit. A small gun opening, a carved date or a change in masonry can explain more than the castle’s overall silhouette. Historic descriptions help locate the questions; the current hosts can explain which parts of the house can be seen.
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03 / Following the documentary trail
The Raits, the sale and the Farquhar restoration
Andrew Jervise approached Hallgreen through documents as well as stone. Writing in 1875, he described consulting an inventory of the estate’s title deeds. It included a charter dated 1471, confirmed by James III in 1478, granting David Rait of Drumnagair rights in lands at Inverbervie known as Hallgreen. That is a firmer starting point than the more dramatic stories of the family’s arrival.
Jervise follows the Raits’ possession through to 1724, when debts led to a court-ordered sale. James Coutts purchased the estate, beginning a succession of changes in ownership. The account eventually reaches James Farquhar, MP, who acquired Hallgreen in 1806. After his death, his nephew inherited and restored the castle around 1840.
This sequence helps explain the contrast between tower house and later residence. Hallgreen was valuable enough to keep changing, with new owners finding new uses for inherited rooms. Its history includes financial pressures and rebuilding, as well as the continuity suggested by a familiar family name.
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04 / The reported presences
The Watcher and the servants
The Paranormal Database carries a short Hallgreen entry about two teenage serving girls said to appear in the building, together with a man wearing a long cloak. The entry was added in May 2003, but its encounter date is unknown. No named witness or original publication is identified beyond a general reference to published media.
Paul Lee’s ghost directory calls the cloaked figure the Watcher. It also records traditions of a woman who died after losing her child, two servant girls, and a child heard within the castle. In that telling, the sound is associated with a youngster said to have been thrown into a well. These tragic explanations remain elements of the haunting stories, without verified identities or circumstances.
The overlap is worth preserving, but two short directories do not establish two independent investigations. Neither gives a scene detailed enough to reconstruct what a witness saw or heard. Hallgreen’s reputation invites further testimony; for now, the named traditions are clearer than the events said to explain them.
05 / A house brought back into use
Repair, records and occasional open doors
Hallgreen’s survival has required more than one restoration. The council record describes dereliction in the 1970s followed by work during the 1980s. Trove’s photographic catalogue includes interior views from 1982: a kitchen fireplace, a service stair, the first-floor hall and details of gun ports. These records preserve parts of the house at a particular stage in its changing condition.
More recently, Hallgreen has appeared in the Doors Open Days programme. The 2025 Aberdeenshire brochure described it as a private residence and advertised an art exhibition in the Great Hall, with medieval combat demonstrations by the Knights of Monymusk in the gardens. The advertised opening was for a particular September weekend.
That combination of repair and occasional welcome gives the castle a living story. Rooms once photographed as historic fabric can also provide space for art, conversation and learning. The old programme shows how visitors have been invited to encounter Hallgreen; any future opportunity needs its own current announcement.
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06 / Hallgreen and Bervie Bay
A coastal setting shaped by work and travel
The shore helps explain Hallgreen’s setting. Aberdeenshire Council describes Inverbervie’s beach as a curved mixture of sand, shingle and rock beside the river’s meeting with the North Sea. From the town, the outlook opens across Bervie Bay. The sheltered trees around the house and the exposed shore below offer quite different experiences of the same place.
The railway once added another layer of movement. RAILSCOT records the terminus opening in 1865, with a platform, goods yard and locomotive facilities. Passenger services ended in 1951; complete closure followed in 1966. Hallgreen stood above this working railway landscape, overlooking the station and the bay.
The former railway alignment now contributes to the coastal path towards Gourdon, described in the council’s built heritage appraisal. That document also links Gourdon’s growth with investment by the lairds of Hallgreen. A shore walk therefore adds context to a castle visit: the residence belonged to a wider world of transport, trade and neighbouring communities.
07 / Planning a respectful visit
Make arrangements before approaching the house
On 15 September 2026, Hallgreen had a live accommodation listing on Booking.com. In their own description, hosts Robert and Vivienne offer history tours for guests. This is an arranged stay in a private home; it does not establish a daily public opening schedule. Check availability, room arrangements and any hoped-for tour directly with the hosts before booking.
The 2025 Doors Open Days information warned of stairs on all levels and unsuitable wheelchair access. It also requested that event visitors use the beach car park because space at the castle was limited. Those were event-specific arrangements, so confirm present access and parking for your visit rather than applying an old programme automatically.
For an exterior look, remain on appropriate public routes and respect the house, gardens and neighbouring homes. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code asks visitors to keep a considerate distance from residential property. Do not enter gates or seek out a reported haunted room without permission. Check local path notices and leave yourself time to enjoy the coast at an unhurried pace.
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Prepared for Scottish Paranormal / Haunted Scotland.
Sources and visitor information reviewed 15 September 2026.
