Ballone Castle

Ballone Castle is a tower house dating back to the 16th century occupying a clifftop site on the seaward side of Tarbat Ness in Ross. The tower house was in ruins but has been restored and is now a private home, although it can be seen from the shore.

The tower was built on the Z-plan, with the main orientation SW-NE; a round tower was placed at the northern corner and a square tower diagonally opposite on the southern corner. The entrance was at ground floor level in the eastern re-entrant into the square tower, where a stair led to the first floor. The entrance hall also accessed a corridor running the full length of the main hall block, leading to all three vaulted cellars, the northernmost of which also accessed the cellar at the base of the round tower. A later wing was added at a diagonal to the south-eastern side of the round tower, with a winding stair leading upwards cut into the thickness of the tower wall. The hall took up the whole floor of the main building, with a private room in the round tower; winding stairs on corbelled out turrets were in the north-west and south-west re-entrant angles leading to the second floor and attic; there are corner turrets at second floor level at the eastern and western corners of the hall block.

The lands of Tarbat were divided in the 15th century, with the earls of Ross holding the eastern part, including Ballone. A 1485 reference states that James Dunbar of Tarbat was leasing the lands of Easter Tarbat from Elizabeth Livingstone, Countess of Ross. This seems likely to have been James of Cumnock, the heir of Alexander Dunbar of Westfield. However, in 1507 Easter Tarbat was granted to James’ nephew, another James Dunbar, a younger son of David Dunbar of Durris (Dores, near Inverness). A longer lease was confirmed in 1516, and in 1526 a charter was issued to James of the lands. In 1563, James was dead, his son James (II of Tarbat) being infeft in the lands of Tarbat. This James was murdered in about 1601, meaning that it is likely the castle was founded for him and his family. He was succeeded by his son Alexander (III), who died in 1603, and then his younger son James (IV), who died by 1610. It seems possible that these three deaths in close proximity to one another were the result of feuding, but James (V) of Tarbat lived until 1660. This last James appears to have sold Easter Tarbat to his father in law, George Monro, who sold it to Sir Rory Mackenzie in 1623. Rory’s son John was created a baronet, lived at Ballone, and died there in 1654; his son George eventually became the first Earl of Cromartie in 1703. George elected to build a new house at Tarbat, seeing Ballone as outdated and remote, and in 1787 this new house was replaced by Tarbat House, the ruins of which still stand. By 1750, the castle was probably tenanted, and appears on the Roy map as the Castle of Balinloan, but by 1822 it is recorded as being in ruins.

HES Canmore database entry.