Phase One: Saving Old Home Farm
At the heart of the Fyvie Castle Estate in Aberdeenshire lies the 18th-century Old Home Farm. This remarkable complex is central to Fyvie’s story but currently unused and at risk.
In 2024, the National Trust for Scotland secured full ownership of Old Home Farm with plans to transform it into an accessible gateway to Fyvie — preserving the historic buildings, creating new education, community, and visitor spaces, and sharing the stories of the estate in a richer, more engaging way.
Reviving Old Home Farm is the first step toward reimagining Fyvie Castle Estate. We invite you to join us as we strengthen community connections, diversify audiences, develop local skills and employment, and ensure the future of Fyvie Castle and its collections.
Witness to Over 800 Years of History
Fyvie Castle is one of the most impressive castles in Scotland and the oldest property in the care of the National Trust for Scotland.
Already a Royal stronghold under William the Lion in 1211, Fyvie’s long history is rooted in hospitality — first as an aristocratic hunting lodge, then as a grand Renaissance palace, and finally as a Gilded Age estate reinvigorated with American dollars.
The completion of a Home Farm in the late 18th century made flamboyant entertaining at Fyvie possible, allowing Fyvie’s owners to live in grand style. In the 19th century, the farm was dramatically expanded, becoming an impressive point of arrival and a warm welcome for visitors to the estate. Then in 1890, Lord Alexander Forbes-Leith, elevated it yet again. Keen to showcase the grandeur of a Scottish sporting estate to his American connections, he made Old Home Farm its centerpiece — while simultaneously installing the latest modern comforts and luxuries at the Castle.
In short, the Old Home Farm is a central and fundamental part of the Fyvie story — and with its own stories to share, too, about changes in landscaping fashions, agricultural practices, and rural life.
Over the 20th century, post-war agricultural and societal changes saw Old Home Farm, once the beating heart of the estate and local community, fall into disrepair.
We now have the opportunity to take a collaborative approach to saving these historic buildings for community and commercial use:
Meeting Visitor and Community Needs
Nearly 460,000 people live within an hour’s drive of Fyvie, presenting a major opportunity for vibrant commercial and community activity. Evaluation has highlighted visitor interest in learning the stories of the people who kept this grand estate running, as well as the potential for traditional skills training and sustainable reuse of architectural materials. The reimagined Old Home Farm will include spaces that will support visits from schools and traditional skills training during the conservation program, benefiting students as well as interested contractors and DIY enthusiasts. Events for craftspeople, such as pop-up makers’ yards, will generate economic benefits for the community.
Restoring Fyvie Castle’s Grandeur
Fyvie Castle itself is an ancient and complex construction that faces acute challenges including deteriorating 16th-century stonework and vulnerable historic interiors. Saving and bringing Old Home Farm back to life will be a crucial first step toward a wider ambition to conserve Fyvie Castle and protect its collections. Completion of the Old Home
Farm project will allow us to keep the Fyvie experience alive during major castle repairs.
Modeling Sustainable Heritage Management
By saving and reusing at-risk historic buildings, we will showcase opportunities for sustainability-led creative regeneration and best practice in adaptive reuse. Alongside protecting the embodied carbon, conservation work at Old Home Farm will also be the first step in our journey towards transforming energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions across the wider estate.
With momentum generated by the restoration of the Old Home Farm project, we’ll move ahead with urgent conservation work to protect Fyvie Castle and its collections. The first phase of work will focus on stabilizing the ornate carved stonework – including the characterful rooftop finials – and carrying out the research needed to guide the next stages of conservation.
We Need Your Help
The cost of realizing our vision for Old Home Farm and developing a long-term repair and conservation plan for Fyvie Castle is $15 million. Thanks to generous supporters, the National Trust for Scotland has already secured $10 million, bringing us significantly closer to our transformational vision. To achieve it in full, we must now raise the remaining $5 million.
Support at this moment is vital to protecting Fyvie Castle and unlocking the full potential of its Old Home Farm. Join us at this defining moment in the Estate’s future.