[1] Forbes was nicknamed "Danzig Willy", a reference to his shrewd international trading success with the Baltic states.

[2] Some used the nickname "Willy the Merchant", also based on the substantial profits he made while "merchandising at Dantzick", according to one source.

[3] Designed in the L-plan,[4] as was Muchalls Castle, which is located in the same region, Craigievar is noted for its crafted plasterwork ceilings.

Sir John Forbes had considered demolishing the tower and consulted the Aberdeen city architect John Smith, who advised against that course of action, stating the tower was: "one of the finest specimens in the Country of the age and style in which it was built.

[6] By the late 1970s, the castle interior boasted a Great Hall that has the Stuart Arms over the fireplace;[2] a musicians' gallery; secret staircase connecting the high tower to the Great Hall; Queen's Bedroom; servants' quarters and several plasterwork ceilings.

The castle interior boasts a Great Hall that has the Stuart Arms over the fireplace; a musicians' gallery; a secret staircase connecting the high tower to the Great Hall; Queen's Bedroom; servants' quarters and several splendid plasterwork ceilings.

In the 1930s a rock garden was created behind the coach house and, more recently, flower borders were added around the Castle and in the kitchen garden.In early 2019, a volunteer discovered what is apparently the original door of the property, made of oak; it was replaced in 1825 and was considered to be missing until 2019.

[18] By 2013, the castle, its grounds and an estate of over 200 acres (81 ha) of adjoining farmland and woodland were in their 50th year as a property of the National Trust for Scotland.

[19] The National Trust continued to operate tours of the castle in 2019, but during 2020, the estate was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK; upon reopening in July, visits were allowed only on the grounds for the rest of the season.

[1] The castle was closed to visitors for about two years while the exterior was properly restored by National Trust for Scotland.

The family had insisted in 1963 that the interiors not be changed, including artworks, decorative plaster work, panelling, and the lack of electricity for room lighting.

The exterior pink color was part of Aberdeen architect John Smith's 1826 makeover to "match the colour of the granite mouldings".

[24][25] This influence on Walt Disney for his pink Cinderella castle was confirmed by James Henderson of the National Trust for Scotland.