- Balconie Castle
Balconie Castle lay in the parish of
Kiltearn , about half a mile east of the village ofEvanton [Evanton was established byEvan Fraser of Balconie .] in the Highlands ofScotland . It was an old seat of the Mormaers and Earls of Ross, chiefs ofClan Ross .The castle was later held by their successors, the Clan MacDonald, Earls of Ross. The castle was also held at various times by the
Clan Munro , as well as having a period ofClan MacKenzie ownership and an interlude of Fraser ownership in the 19th century which saw the nearby village ofEvanton laid out. "See:Evan Fraser of Balconie ".Alterations and additions were documented in 1891 by architects Andrew Maitland & Sons. [cite web |url=http://www.codexgeo.co.uk/dsa/building_full.php?id=M017205 |title=DSA Building/Design Report |publisher=codexgeo.co.uk |accessdate=2008-03-12]
By the start of the Second World War, the castle was owned by one George Banks and used as a summer home. During the War, the building was requisitioned by the army and used as a billet. After the war, the castle was bought by A.J.M. Munro, a timber merchant from
Alness , and lay empty for some years, dry rot being only one of the problems.The building fell into disrepair and by the 1960s was unsafe. To prevent a serious accident - local children were prone to explore the place - it was demolished and the rubble used in the construction of the new aluminium smelter a few miles away at
Invergordon .Nothing is left of the building - it is just a field. The location was approximately
Ordnance Survey grid reference NH615657. However, the castle's walled garden survives and is privately owned.References
* Interview with Alastair and Mora Munro
11 June ,2007
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