Balconie Castle facts for kids
Balconie Castle was an old castle in the Highlands of Scotland. It was located about half a mile (0.8 km) east of the village of Evanton. This castle was once a very important place, home to powerful Scottish clans. Sadly, the castle no longer stands today, but its history tells us about the people who lived there long ago.
Contents
History of Balconie Castle
Early Owners: The MacDonalds
Balconie Castle was first an important home for the Mormaers and Earls of Ross. These were powerful leaders of a group called Clan Ross. Later, the castle was held by the Clan Donald Earls of Ross. They were also known as the Lords of the Isles and were very powerful in Scotland.
In 1485, a chief named Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh, who was related to the Earl of Ross, held a big Christmas party at Balconie. He invited many important Highland chiefs and members of his own clan.
During the feast, something went wrong. Kenneth Mackenzie arrived with 40 men, but his MacDonald wife wasn't with him. This was seen as an insult to the MacDonalds. To make things worse, there wasn't enough room in the castle. Kenneth was given a place to sleep in the kiln (a type of oven building). He became angry and hit one of the Macleans, who had arranged the sleeping places. The servants saw this as a direct insult to the MacDonald chief. They quickly grabbed their weapons, and Kenneth Mackenzie and his friends had to leave in a hurry!
The Munros of Balconie
From the late 1400s to the end of the 1600s, Balconie Castle was owned by a branch of the Clan Munro. These were the Munros of Coul and Balconie. They were descendants of George Munro, who was the 10th Baron of Foulis Castle and chief of the Munro clan.
The owners of Balconie Castle from this family were:
- John Munro (1st of Balconie)
- John Mor Munro (2nd)
- John Munro (3rd)
- Hugh Munro (4th)
- Robert Munro (5th)
- Donald Munro (6th)
- John Munro (7th)
John Munro, the 7th of Balconie, eventually sold the lands.
Modern Times and Demolition
After the Munros, the castle was owned by the Mackenzie family for a while. In the 1800s, it was briefly owned by the Fraser family. During this time, the nearby village of Evanton was planned out.
In 1891, architects Andrew Maitland & Sons made some changes and additions to the castle.
By the start of World War II, the castle belonged to George Bankes and was used as a summer home. During the war, the army took over the building and used it to house soldiers.
After the war, the castle was bought by A.J.M. Munro, a timber merchant. It was left empty for several years and started to fall apart. It had problems like dry rot. By the 1960s, the castle was unsafe. Local children would often explore the ruins, which was dangerous. To prevent any serious accidents, the castle was completely taken down. The stones and rubble from Balconie Castle were used to help build a new aluminium factory a few miles away in Invergordon.
Today, nothing is left of the main castle building; it's just a field. However, a small ice-house still remains. The castle's old walled garden and stables have also survived. They are now privately owned by a Maclean family.
Images for kids
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Castle and Walled Gardens
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Garden and Stables
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Garden walkway
