Phenomenal Boo Castle is not only a neo-Gothic masterpiece but one of Sweden’s largest private estates encompassing some 15 000 hectares of land and 1000 hectares of water. It is situated in southern Närke. 

It was founded as a donation estate from Gustav II Adolf to Scottish Field Marshall Alexander Leslie for his military achievements. It did not stay long with Leslie who sold it to Count Gustav Horn af Björneborg. It was then inherited within the family on the female side for three generations – af Björneborg, Cruus af Gudhem and Fleming. Anna Fleming married one of Charles XII’s men; the future Field Marshal Hugo Johan Hamilton af Hageby in 1721 who purchased Anna’s brother’s part of the estate and created made it an entailed estate in 1735. Since 1748 (when Hugo Johan died at Tuna in Rystad), the magnificent Boo Estate & Castle have remained with the Hamiltons.  

Today’s neo-Gothic Castle was built on the same site as the earlier Carolean house. It is built between 1874-1882 after drawings by Johan Fredrik Åbom. Rudolf Aberlin was responsible for the surrounding parkland. The current Hamiltons are running a successful farmland and forestry business, as well as offering opportunities for hunts.

Photo: Sam Lindskog – Örebro stadsarkiv, Wikimedia