The oldest part of Drum Castle is a 13th century tower house with red granite walls 12ft (3.7m) thick. It was in the hands of the Irvine family for seven centuries (William de Irwin was armour bearer to King Robert I [the Bruce]) and is one of
the oldest surviving tower houses in Scotland. It was later extended with a Jacobean mansion (c.1619) and an even later Victorian extension. Good views of the development of the house can be enjoyed from the very top of the tower. Drum Castle stands by the surviving fragment of the Old Wood of Drum, with its oak, pine and wild cherry. The property is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland.