A Deeside citadel dating back to the Middle Ages has proved the ideal inspiration for a team of local fashion students.
Thirteenth-century Drum Castle acted as the muse for the budding designers from Aberdeen’s Gray’s School of Art, who were asked to produce tote bags after studying the fortress.
The castle in Drumoak, near Banchory, is the ancestral seat of the Irvine family – with the oldest section of its structure being the tower house, which can be traced to the 1300s.
Visitors to the estate are being asked to vote for their favourite choice of the 36 bags created by the fashion and textile students.
The carriers, all made of cotton, are now on display in the building and the most popular design could potentially be reproduced and put on sale at the castle shop.
In order to capture the mood, students were given a unique insight into the history of the National Trust for Scotland property.
The student’s lecturer, Elaine Gowans, said: “Live projects are always a brilliant way of introducing students to working with clients and responding to a specific brief.
“The students have really enjoyed working on this project and it is great to see their work now being exhibited in the same building which has inspired it.
“We are very much looking forward to hearing feedback from the public on the designs.”
The castle’s manager, Alison Burke, said: “I was delighted when I saw the designs that the students had produced and I am so excited to see what visitors to the castle think of the bags.
“The students have all approached the brief in a really individual way and it is amazing to see the range of work that is on display.”
