Ballindalloch Castle
Encyclopedia
Ballindalloch Castle is a castle
between Dufftown
and Grantown-on-Spey
, in the Moray
region of Scotland
.
The first tower of the Z plan castle was built in 1546. After it was plundered and burned by James Graham
, the first Marquess of Montrose, it was restored in 1645. Extensions were added in 1770 by General James Grant
of the American Wars of Independence (whose ghost
is said to haunt the castle) and in 1850 by the architect Thomas MacKenzie
. Further extensions carried out in 1878 were mostly demolished during and modernisations enacted in 1965. It has been continuously occupied by the Russell
and Macpherson-Grant families
throughout its existence.
The castle houses an important collection of 17th century Spanish
paintings. The dining room of Ballindalloch is said to be haunted by a ghost known as The Green Lady.
The castle grounds contain a 20th century rock garden
and a 17th century dovecote
. The rivers Spey and Avon
flow through the grounds, offering excelleing fishing
. The famous Aberdeen Angus cattle herd resides in the castle estate.
Today, the castle is still occupied by Clare Nancy Russell
and her family. Mrs Russell is the current Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire
. It is open to tourists
during the summer months and a number of workshops on its grounds are in active use.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
between Dufftown
Dufftown
Dufftown is a burgh in Banffshire, Scotland.The town was originally named Mortlach in the Middle Ages, until the 19th century when the Earl of Fife built the town as a housing for soldiers returning home from war...
and Grantown-on-Spey
Grantown-on-Spey
Grantown-on-Spey is a town in the Highland Council Area in Scotland.It was founded in 1765 as a planned settlement on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey at the northern edge of the Cairngorm mountains, about 20 miles South East of Inverness .It is the main town in what was the...
, in the Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
region of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The first tower of the Z plan castle was built in 1546. After it was plundered and burned by James Graham
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
, the first Marquess of Montrose, it was restored in 1645. Extensions were added in 1770 by General James Grant
James Grant (general)
James Grant, Laird of Ballindalloch was a major general in the British Army during the American War of Independence. He served as Governor of East Florida from 1763 to 1771.-Early career:...
of the American Wars of Independence (whose ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
is said to haunt the castle) and in 1850 by the architect Thomas MacKenzie
Thomas Mackenzie
Sir Thomas Noble Mackenzie GCMG was a Scottish-born New Zealand politician and explorer who briefly served as the 18th Prime Minister of New Zealand in 1912, and later served as New Zealand High Commissioner in London....
. Further extensions carried out in 1878 were mostly demolished during and modernisations enacted in 1965. It has been continuously occupied by the Russell
Russell family
Russell family may refer to:*The English aristocratic family headed by the Duke of Bedford. Other members of this family include the Earls Russell, the Barons Ampthill and Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford...
and Macpherson-Grant families
Macpherson-Grant Baronets
The Macpherson-Grant Baronetcy, of Ballindalloch in the County of Elgin, was a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on on 25 July 1838 for George Macpherson-Grant, Member of Parliament for Sutherland intermittently from 1809 to 1826...
throughout its existence.
The castle houses an important collection of 17th century Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
paintings. The dining room of Ballindalloch is said to be haunted by a ghost known as The Green Lady.
The castle grounds contain a 20th century rock garden
Rock Garden
The Rock Garden or Rock Garden of Chandigarh is a Sculpture garden in Chandigarh, India, also known as Nek Chand's Rock Garden after its founder Nek Chand, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of forty-acres , it is...
and a 17th century dovecote
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
. The rivers Spey and Avon
River Avon, Strathspey
The River Avon is a river in the Strathspey area of the Scottish Highlands, and a tributary of the River Spey. It drains the north-eastern area of the Cairngorm Mountains and is largely contained within the Cairngorms National Park...
flow through the grounds, offering excelleing fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. The famous Aberdeen Angus cattle herd resides in the castle estate.
Today, the castle is still occupied by Clare Nancy Russell
Clare Nancy Russell
Clare Nancy Russell is a Scottish Landowner, the Lady Laird of Ballindalloch Castle on Speyside and has been Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire since 2002...
and her family. Mrs Russell is the current Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire
Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire, Scotland.*James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife 17 March 1794 – 24 January 1809*In commission 1809–1813**Sir George Abercromby, 4th Baronet**Francis Garden Campbell**Stewart Souler...
. It is open to tourists
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
during the summer months and a number of workshops on its grounds are in active use.