Ballindalloch Castle

About this place

Ballindalloch Castle stands in Speyside, in the Scottish Highlands, on the banks of the River Avon, a short distance from its junction with the River Spey.

It is one of Scotland's few castles to have been continuously inhabited by the same family since it was built.

The Macpherson-Grant family still live here today, which gives the place a quality that more institutional historic houses rarely have.

Access is covered by Historic Houses membership.

History

The castle dates from the sixteenth century, when it was established as the seat of the Grant family in Speyside. Over the centuries the estate passed through inheritance and marriage into the Macpherson-Grant line, who have held it ever since. The family's unbroken connection to the property across roughly five hundred years is unusual even by Scottish Highland standards.

Architecture

The castle incorporates a sixteenth-century tower house at its core, with later additions that reflect the tastes of successive generations of the same family.

Worth knowing

Ballindalloch is surrounded by some of the most celebrated whisky distilleries in Scotland, and the estate itself has produced its own single estate whisky, making it a rare example of a landed family castle with its own distilling operation.

Gardens & grounds

The castle grounds include established gardens along the Spey, which are a draw in their own right during the warmer months.