Watercolour on paper, c.1875
David Bryce (1803-1876)
RCAHMS: David Bryce Collection presented in 1942
Drum Castle in Aberdeenshire was home to the Irvine family for more than 650 years, with 24 generations of nearly unbroken succession. The Castle consists of several distinct structural elements built across the centuries. The original tower keep is considered one of the oldest existing in Scotland. It is thought to have been built during the reign of Alexander III in the mid thirteenth century. Standing at 70 feet, it has walls 12 feet thick at the base. A three-storey mansion house was later built to surround the original tower, completed in 1619.
This drawing illustrates various Victorian improvements added from 1875 onwards under the architect David Bryce, including the design of a hall, a new front door and first floor corridor.
The last Laird of Drum, Henry Quentin Forbes Irvine, bequeathed the house and 300 acres of ground to the National Trust for Scotland on his death in November 1975.