Balconie Castle

Later the castle went through a period of Mackenzie ownership and an interlude of Fraser ownership in the 19th century which saw the nearby village of Evanton laid out. See:Evan Fraser of Balconie. To see what it looked like when photographed for publication by GWW & Co c1890 go to this image in the University of Aberdeen collection. By the start of the Second World War, the castle was owned by one George Bankes 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. It fell into…

The castle was an old seat of the Mormaers and Earls of Ross, chiefs of Clan Ross. It was later held by their successors, the Clan Donald Earls of Ross. Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh, chief of the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh and a relative of the MacDonald Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, held a Christmas feast at Balconie in 1485. He invited all of the dependents of his own clan and many of the most powerful Highland chieftains. Kenneth Mackenzie arrived at the feast with 40 men but without his MacDonald wife which insulted the MacDonalds. To make matters worse as there was not enough room in Balconie, Kenneth was provided lodgings in the kiln and in a fit of anger he hit out at one of…