The Restoration of Balnagown Castle

Mohamed came across Balnagown Castle quite by chance when he was on his way to Dornoch, Firth. Struck by its romance and antiquity, he asked his driver to stop the car so that he could enquire if it was for sale. It was, and a week later it was his.

Location: Inverness, Scotland
Date of building: parts date back to 1490
Timescale: two major restoration programmes took place over several years.

Background

Balnagown Castle was the ancestral home of the Clan Ross, known descendants of Scottish legend Sir William Wallace. It stayed in their family until the death of the 13th Laird. The Halkhead and Lockhart Rosses became its new owners until 1964. The Castle’s appearance had deteriorated over the years due to lack of funds and by the time Mohamed bought it in 1972, it was in a sad state of disrepair.

Exterior

Externally Balnagown Castle was a fascinating fusion of turrets, crenellations and Gothic extensions – ‘improvements’ made over the centuries by its Lairds and reflective of fashions of the day. Within, dry rot was eating through its very heart. Experts were called in to underpin the foundations, reinforce internal structures and remove, remake and recast the ceilings and their intricate designs.

Conservation efforts extended to the Estate’s surrounding lands apes which saw native wildlife flourish and a return to farming which would provide revenue to help with the Estate’s upkeeps. The out-buildings were turned into luxury self-catering holiday cottages.

Interior

Throughout the restoration process, experts cleaned, conserved and repaired every aspect of the Castle including gun loops, arrow slits, carvings and even the Castle’s old wallpaper which was removed, replicated and reinstated. The Castle was sympathetically refurbished alongside historical artefacts that were uncovered and preserved during restoration.

These included the 1799 marriage contract of General Sir Charles Ross and his second wife, hunting trophies, wall paintings, portraits of previous Lairds and what is believed to be the former chair of Sir William Wallace.

Completion

The scale and scope of the restoration work was vast and the result truly impressive. In 2002 the Scottish Tourist Board awarded Mohamed the Freedom of the Highlands Award for his combined efforts at Balnagown and the nearby Falls of Shin.