Ballindalloch Castle, known as the "pearl of the north", is a Scottish castle located in Ballindalloch, Banffshire, Scotland. It has been the family home of Macpherson-Grants since 1546.

History

The lands were originally owned by the Ballindalloch family but in 1499 they passed to the Grants.

The first tower of the Z plan castle was built in 1546.

In 1590 the widow of the Grant of Ballindalloch married John Gordon, son Thomas Gordon of Cluny. John Grant, former Tutor of Ballindaloch, the administrator of the estate, killed one of John Grant's servants. This started a feud between the Earl of Huntly and the Earl of Moray. The Earl of Huntly went to Ballindalloch in November 1590 to arrest the Tutor. The Chief of Grant, John Grant of Freuchie promised to deliver the Tutor and his accomplices, accused of murder and other crimes, to Huntly Castle. However, Freuchie joined with the Tutor's men and the Earl of Moray, and came to Darnaway Castle, and there shot pistols at Huntly's officers and cannon from the castle, and killed John Gordon, brother of the Laird of Cluny.

In 1645, the castle was sacked, plundered and burned by James Graham, the first Marquess of Montrose, after the Battle of Inverlochy, but it was restored in the same year.

Whisky

With the assistance of a £1.2 million grant from the Scottish Government, the owners of the castle set up the Ballindalloch distillery on the estate farm. The distillery commenced production in September 2014.

References

  • The Ballindalloch Castle web site
  • Gazetteer for Scotland
  • Ballindalloch sculptor
  • Ballindalloch Castle on Burgenwelt.org (German)