The Castles of Clan Ross

It seems only right to start today with the Clan’s historic seat of Balnagown Castle, which you can find beside the village of Kildary, deep in the Ross’ traditional Highlands territory.

The first Laird of Balnagown was Hugh Ross. He was given the land by his half-brother William, the Earl of Ross in 1368, and quickly began building the Castle. It was then passed on to his stepson in 1375, who expanded the estate, a process which various descendants continued over the following centuries.

Throughout its history, Balnagown was often used as an important medieval stronghold, serving as a backdrop to many fearsome battles. It was the scene of several sieges during the Jacobite risings of the 18th century and, later, during the two Jacobite rebellions of the 19th century. The castle was also occupied by a government troop in 1746, during the second Jacobite rebellion, and was heavily damaged as a result.

Soon after this, in 1754, Balnagown passed to another branch of the family, when it was inherited by Admiral Sir John Lockhart-Ross, 6th Baronet. The admiral was saddened at the dilapidated state it had been left in and dedicated a lot of time and money to improving the Balnagown estate. He was so determined to succeed that he became known as "the most efficient and enterprising Highland estate manager of his day.”

He passed his passion for the land onto his son, Sir Charles Lockhart-Ross, who hired renowned architect, James Gillespie Graham to carry out a number of Gothic Revival style alterations to the castle, and to plant several striking Italian style gardens.

Sir Charles Ross, 9th Baronet, then inherited Balnagown in 1911, and focused his energy on agricultural improvement, introducing the silo and the combine harvester to the estate. Sadly, from Charles’ death in 1942, until 1972, the castle was left unoccupied and began to fall into disrepair.

It seems that the castle wasn’t destined to disappear just yet, however, as in 1972, it was purchased by Mohamed Al-Fayed, who was charmed by its beauty, even in its less than perfect state. He endeavoured to restore both the house and the grounds, hiring Parisian interior designer Philippe Belloir, decorator of the Parisian Ritz hotel, to help.

Balnagown is now primarily a family home so is unfortunately not open to the public. However, visitors can take a guided tour of the outbuildings and gardens, which include a 19th-century walled garden, an ornamental pond, and several follies. The castle grounds are also home to a friendly herd of Highland cattle, who can be seen grazing on the fields during the summer.

Like any good ancient castle, the grounds are also host to one or two paranormal visitors! Legend has it that two ghosts haunt the castle, one friendly, one not so friendly …

The first is described as a young girl with bright, green eyes. She is believed to be the spirit of a princess who, according to legend, is buried within the walls of the castle. Those who have seen her say that she is a pleasant ghost, who smiles gently and doesn’t seem to pose any threat.

The second ghost, believed to be that of Black Andrew Munro, is far from pleasant, and is most definitely threatening! Black Andrew was described as an evil man who terrorised the local community, carrying out countless heinous acts, including murder and burying his enemies alive. Guests of the castle who have had the misfortune of meeting him describe him as malevolent, and say he seems to take great pleasure in scaring those who cross his path!

Our next castle for today is slightly less spooky, but no less impressive! Portencross Castle is located in Portencross, on the west coast of Scotland, about 3 km from West Kilbride. There has been a castle on the site since the 11th century, but the present tower castle is thought to date from the mid-14th Century. In its earliest days, it was known as ‘Arneil,’ alternatively spelled as ‘Arnele’ or ‘Ardneil’ and was used by Clan Ross as a stronghold and home.

It is most likely that it was first constructed as a stone-built hall house with a protective structure encasing it to provide defence against any potential invaders. In the late 1400s, upper storeys, an attic and a ground floor entrance were added. An oblong keep that is three storeys high with a garret was also incorporated into the grounds, again building a strong level of built in defence.

The castle remained in use until it was badly damaged by a great storm in 1739 and was left uninhabited. It fell into disrepair until it was assigned as a scheduled ancient monument in 1955, which means it is recognised as a nationally important historic building.

What Portencross lacks in ghost stories, it makes up for in spiritual significance. It is said that Portencross Castle was the last resting place of the great kings of Scotland. Legend has it that they were transported via the castle on their way to Iona, where they would be buried. The story goes that they would lay in state at Portencross Castle for a short time. While historians can’t prove this with 100% accuracy to be true, we think it would make perfect sense that the regal and noble Clan Ross would end up making a home on such blessed ground!

If you would like to learn more about the site, and how you can visit or get involved, visit their website here!

Our final site today is perfect if you are a keen historian or are looking to explore your Clan Ross roots. Tain & District Museum and Clan Ross Centre is an independent, volunteer-run museum in the County of Ross which aims to preserve local history and provide locals and visitors with a snapshot into the region's fascinating heritage. It houses a wide range of documents and artefacts relating to Clan Ross, some of which can be seen digitised on their website here!

They also provide assistance with genealogical research; you can book a research visit, where volunteers will assist you in locating relevant material, or if you are unable to visit in person, you can email the centre to ask an enquiry and they will undertake an initial search of the material for you.

What’s more, you can book private Clan Ross Tours of the Museum site with their resident Clan Ross historian! This includes viewings of exciting ancient objects such as the Balnagown Book, Pictish Stone, Norse era Graves and the Collegiate Church. The Tain & District Museum and Clan Ross Centre also have links and connections to Fearn Abbey.