Scottish Castles Association

A staggering £510,00 was raised at the National Trust President's Ball held last year at Castle Fraser. It was the first time the ball had been held in the north-east of Scotland, and the charity hailed it the most successful so far.

The National Trust's President's Ball was held at Aberdeenshire's Castle Fraser for the first time

National Trust President, The Earl of Lindsay said: "This amount has made a huge difference to the Trust and it has enabled many diverse and wide-ranging projects to move forward, or, in some cases, actually to happen at all."

Drum Castle in Drumoak, Aberdeenshire will benefit

Among the properties to benefit are:

• Drum Castle: £15,000 to renovate the Brew House Flat after it suffered catastrophic flood damage
• Craigievar Castle: £8,000 to open up access to its Viewing Platform, which has been closed for 20 years
• Fyvie Castle: £260,000 to repair gates and the Preston Tower
• Castle Fraser: £30,000 to conserve the Caithness flagstone floor in the medieval Laigh Hall
• Haddo House: £15,000 to repair carpet
• Iona: £33,000 to repair old fire station

Article by SCA member Brian McGarrigle