Balvaird Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Balvaird Castle |
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Balvaird Castle, Perth & Kinross, Scotland
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| General information | |
| Location | Perth & Kinross |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°17′19.83″N 3°20′33.53″W / 56.2888417°N 3.3426472°W |
| Owner | Brady Brim-DeForest |
| Designated | 28 February 1950 |
| Reference no. | SM90027 |
Balvaird Castle is a really cool and old Scottish castle. It's a great example of a traditional tower house from the late Middle Ages. You can find it in the Ochil Hills in Perth & Kinross, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Abernethy.
The name Balvaird comes from the Gaelic words Baile a' Bhàird, which means 'Township of the Bard'. Today, Balvaird Castle is a protected historical site. It is looked after by Historic Environment Scotland.
Contents
Building a Home: The Castle's Story
How Balvaird Castle Began
Balvaird Castle was built around the year 1495. It was made for Sir Andrew Murray. He was a younger son from the Murray family of Tullibardine. Sir Andrew got the land for the castle by marrying Margaret Barclay. She was an heiress from a rich family.
It's likely that Balvaird Castle was built where an older castle once stood. There are still some old earth walls around the castle. These might be from earlier defenses. The castle is first mentioned in old records in 1498. It was called 'the place of Balward' back then.
Growing Over Time: New Parts and Changes
Over many years, the castle was made bigger and changed. A gatehouse was added in 1567. This gatehouse led to an outer courtyard. This courtyard probably had stables for horses. It also added more protection to the castle.
There was another courtyard to the south, which was a garden. A much larger walled area to the north-east was an orchard. This was a pleasant place to relax.
The Murray family lived at Balvaird for a long time. But in 1658, they moved to Scone Palace. This palace was much more comfortable. After they moved, other people still lived in the castle. It was probably used by farmworkers in its later days.
In 1887, some historians found a statue inside the castle. They thought it might be of Lady Margaret Barclay. She was the woman who married Sir Andrew Murray in 1495.
Balvaird Castle Today
In recent years, Historic Scotland worked to restore and dig up parts of the castle. They still maintain it today. The Murray family owned the castle until 2017.
You can visit the castle grounds at any time. However, you can only go inside the main tower house on certain days of the year. Balvaird Castle is now owned by Brady Brim-DeForest, an American businessman.
What Makes Balvaird Castle Special?
Balvaird Castle has some really cool and fancy details for its age. For example, you can see carved heads on the stone supports. These support the round corners of the wall-walk. There's also a very detailed wall-cupboard in the main hall.
Another special part is the small tower-house on top of the main stairs. It's called a cap-house. Some people think that these carved stone parts might have come from an old church.
It was also unusual to have a kitchen on the ground floor back then. The special keyhole-shaped gun-holes show that the castle was built in the late 1400s.
