Balnagown Castle

Balnagown Castle Details

Balnagown Castle, occupied multiphase mansion containing C14 tower; extended C17,18,19 by the Ross family

  • Closest To: Alness
  • Access: No Access
  • Grid Reference: NH763752

Balnagown Castle is a large mansion set within private gardens near the edge of a river cliff in Easter Ross. At its core is a large tower house dating to perhaps the 15th century and erected for the Ross family, dispossessed descendants of the earls of Ross. It can only be seen by the public through trees from the other side of the river.

The Rosses of Balnagown were descended from the younger half-brother of William, the last Ross earl. He was dispossessed in 1368 in favour of his niece, who was a political pawn, being married to allies of David II and then Robert II. Hugh Ross had been granted Balnagown in 1333, and was favoured by his clansmen, so estatesĀ  granted to him over time were not inconsiderable. The first mention of the castle is in 1490, when the seventh laird, David, was in charge. David was a favoured courtier of James IV, and it may be that the tower was built in response to the king’s pilgrimages to St Duthac’s in Tain – or extended if there was an existing hall at the site previously, which would not be unreasonable.

The old tower was extended in the later 16th century to form an L-plan footprint, and was provided with a barmkin courtyard, as depicted by Pont, although it is hard to reconcile his image with the standing building. This building was extended again in the 17th century to form a larger L-shaped mansion, and the space between the wings was filled in the 1760s. Starting early in the 19th century the Lady Mary Lockhart Ross extensively remodelled the castle over 30 years, with the result being the building that we see today. Over the next century the estate and house slowly declined, and was abandoned by Charles, the lady Mary’s grandson. In 1972 the castle was purchased by the current owners and refurbishment continues to this day.

 

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