Castillo Douglas, also known as Castillo Ortega-Douglas, is a Scottish-style medieval castle-like house located in central Aguascalientes, Mexico.
THE HISTORY OF CASTILLO DOUGLAS
John Douglas arrived in Mexico at the end of the 19th century having left his home in Scotland. After settling in Aguascalientes, he founded La Perla flour factory and established a farm, Chalet Douglas.
John’s daughter Adela Douglas would later marry Jose Guadalupe Ortega y Romo de Vivar, with whom she would have a son, Edmundo Ortega Douglas.
It was Edmundo who changed the name of Chalet Douglas to Castillo Douglas after ordering the construction of a Scottish-style castle on the property in 1923.
The house was designed entirely from stone by Federico Mariscal, with construction work supervised by J. Refugio Reyes Rivas (best known for the Templo de San Antonio).
Edmundo would live in the castle with his wife, Carmen Llaguno Cansino, for the rest of their lives. After Carmen passed away in 1967, and then Edmundo in 1969, Castillo Douglas was turned into a mechanical workshop by one of their sons. However, just a year later, in 1970, the castle was left abandoned.
After being abandoned for almost three decades, in 1997, the castle was restored and turned into a restaurant. Unfortunately, the business did not last, and once again, the property was left abandoned.
Not many interior photos of Castillo Douglas appear to exist; the bar in this photo is probably from when the castle was used a restaurant in 1997.
CASTILLO DOUGLAS TODAY
In 2015 Castillo Douglas was sold, but in the years since, it has never been reopened or lived in. However, it does appear to have been going through some renovation work between 2019 and 2023, and so hopefully will one day be lived in once again or possibly even open to the public.
If you like Castillo Douglas, then you should check out Mystery Castle and Hard Luck Mine Castle. Two American castles, not built in European style, but both with incredible stories behind them.