Balvarran facts for kids
Balvarran is a historic house and estate in Scotland. It's located in a beautiful area called Strathardle. This area is in Perth and Kinross. The house sits east of the River Ardle, near Enochdhu. In 1554, a powerful noble, the Earl of Atholl, gave land to a person known as Baron Ruadh. Baron Ruadh built a house there and named it Balvarran. The name "Balvarran" means "Township of the Baron."
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History of Balvarran House
The house you see today is very old. It was finished in 1641. This makes it a "Category B listed" building, meaning it's important for its history. Just three years after it was built, in 1644, a famous military leader named James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose burned it down. People have even found old cannonballs near the house. These were fired by Montrose's soldiers.
The house was quickly rebuilt after the fire. Later, it had more parts added to it. In 1895, a famous architect named Sir Robert Lorimer designed new sections. These included a porch, an entrance hall, and a billiards room. He also designed kennels and stables. The entrance hall and billiards room have beautiful plasterwork on their ceilings.
You can find three special stones called "marriage lintels" at Balvarran. These stones usually show the date a couple got married. However, at Balvarran, people believe these dates show when building work was finished. The oldest stone has the date 1641 on it.
The ownership of Balvarran changed over time. In 1791, the Duke of Atholl gave the property to James Stormonth of Lednathie. It's not fully clear why this happened. Later, a person named Moir Tod Stormonth Darling lived at Balvarran. He lived there between 1894 and 1912. Today, Balvarran is still the home of the Stormonth Darling family.
Myths, Legends, and Folklore
Balvarran has many interesting stories and legends. These tales have been passed down for generations.
The Balvarran Cupped Stone
About 150 meters north-east of Balvarran House, there is a special stone. It's called the Balvarran Cupped Stone. This stone is made of a type of rock called micaceous schist. It has four large cup-shaped holes on its surface. People have different ideas about what these cups were for. Some think they were "cressets," which are lamps used to light the way for monks. Others believe the Barons Ruadh used it for christenings. However, no one knows for sure what its original use was.
Cam Ruadh and the Cattle Thieves
In the 1600s, cattle thieves were a big problem in the area. Alexander Ruadh, who was the 6th Baron Ruadh, decided to get help. He asked his cousin, Cam Ruadh, to assist him. Cam Ruadh was a respected archer, even though he only had one eye.
Together, they came up with a clever plan. They made a white cow slightly lame. This way, when thieves stole the cattle at night, the white cow would be easy to see at the back of the herd. Whenever a thief hit the white cow to make it move faster, Cam Ruadh would shoot an arrow. He aimed just a yard behind the cow, hitting and killing the thief. After several raiders were killed or hurt, the rest of them ran away. They left the cattle behind.
Cam Ruadh had guessed where the thieves would try to escape. He hid near the Altchroskie burn, a small stream. Here, he killed even more of the fleeing raiders. People say the stream turned red with blood that day. Even the stones in the burn were stained. Many people have reported seeing the ghosts of these cattle thieves along the burn.
The Bhantighearna Mharranach
Magdalene was the wife of the 7th Baron. She was known in the area as a "dreamer of dreams" and a prophetess. A prophetess is someone who can see the future. Many stories about her, known as the 'Bhantighearna Mharranach' (which means "the Mar Lady" in Gaelic), became local folklore.
One famous vision happened on July 26, 1689. Magdalene dreamed she was standing in front of Balvarran House. She saw a dragon spitting fireballs flying towards her from the west. But the dragon couldn't hurt her because it was tied down by a chain. This vision didn't happen exactly as she dreamed it. However, people believe it represented a feared army. This army was led by John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee. He had threatened to harm Baron Ruadh if he didn't join his cause. The very next day, Viscount Dundee was killed at the Battle of Killiecrankie.
