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Castles and Historic Buildings of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland

 Castles of Scotland - Balvaird Castle






Map by mapchart.net - Some rights reserved.


Location
near Gateside, Perth and Kinross, Scotland

Description
Balvaird Castle is situated on a hilltop in the Ochil Hills. Balvaird is a traditional late Scottish tower house, built around the year 1500 for Sir Andrew Murray. It is likely that Balvaird Castle was built on the site of an earlier castle. Balvaird has some fine architectural features including corbels supporting the corner-roundels of the wall-walk. The kitchen is on the ground floor, and there is a pit prison within the wall. The accommodation has a number of rooms in the main block and wing with the main staircase between them. Accommodation on the first floor extends over the gatehouse. There is a walkway around the main block at roof level, with a lookout tower at the top of the main staircase. The Castle is now owned by Historic Scotland who have done some restoration work. The site is open to the public, but the tower-house is only open on summer weekends

History
A gatehouse was built in 1567 with an outer courtyard was attached to the main gate Another courtyard was a added to the south was a garden, and a large walled garden was built to the north-east. The Murray family continued to live at Balvaird until 1658 when they moved to Scone Palace, near Perth. The castle continued to be inhabited, but not by its owners.


Other Castles in the Area
  Aberdour Castle, Fife
  Balgonie Castle, Fife
  Balhousie Castle, Perth and Kinross
  Ballinbreich Castle, Fife
  Burleigh Castle, Perth and Kinross
  Castle Campbell, Clackmannanshire
  Collairnie Castle, Fife
  Dairsie Castle, Fife
  Denmylne Castle, Fife
  Dudhope Castle, City of Dundee
  Elcho Castle, Perth and Kinross
  Evelick Castle, Perth And Kinross
  Falkland Palace, Fife
  Fernie Castle, Fife
  Fingask Castle, Perth and Kinross
  Huntingtower Castle, Perth and Kinross
  Kinnaird Castle, Perth and Kinross
  Lochleven Castle, Perth and Kinross
  Lochore Castle, Fife
  Lordscairnie Castle, Fife
  Myres Castle, Fife
  Ravenscraig Castle, Fife
  Scotstarvit Tower, Fife
  Tulliallan Castle, Fife
  Tullibole Castle, Perth and Kinross







Tullibole Castle
South walls of Balvaird Castle in the early morning light.

Photograph by Jim Bain. Some rights reserved.  (view image details)

Tullibole Castle
Balvaird Castle

Photograph by Peter Gordon. Some rights reserved.  (view image details)

Tullibole Castle
Balvaird Castle, Origins are late 15th Century much reworked in the 16th century for the Murray family

Photograph by Brian D Osborne. Some rights reserved.  (view image details)

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