Clan Rising
Balintore Castle today

Scotland · Restored

Balintore Castle

Balintore Castle is a Victorian Scottish Baronial country house near Kirriemuir in Angus, Scotland, designed in 1859 by William Burn as a sporting lodge for David Lyon. It occupies an elevated moorland site above Balintore village and is noted for many turrets and gables and a prominent balustraded viewing platform. After a period of abandonment it has been acquired and is being restored and reoccupied.

Recreate this castle →Defend this castle →

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1870

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1870

What Balintore Castle looked like in its prime.

A mid-Victorian Scottish Baronial mansion of grey masonry set on elevated moorland, with an irregular silhouette of multiple round and square turreted towers, steep gables and tall chimney stacks. The dominant central tower is topped by a balustraded viewing platform and clustered pinnacles; smaller corbelled turrets punctuate corners. The façade once included a projecting oriel window (now missing). Rooflines are steep and varied; the building sits above a gently sloping grassy approach scattered with mature trees.

Its story

The story of Balintore Castle.

Balintore Castle is a Victorian country house in the Scottish Baronial style, designed in 1859 by William Burn as a sporting lodge for David Lyon. It occupies an elevated moorland site above Balintore village, a few miles north of the Loch of Lintrathen near Kirriemuir in Angus, with an abundance of turreted towers and gables, a now-missing oriel window, and a main tower topped by a balustraded viewing platform similar to that of Buchanan Castle.

The interior centres on the great hall, with a gallery, bedrooms, a library and a dining room, and the full below-stairs apparatus of a Victorian lodge: a dinner service room, a women servants' sitting room, a brushing room, a butler's pantry, a lumber room and a beer cellar. After a period of abandonment, the category A listed castle has been acquired and is being restored and reoccupied.

Step inside

12 places to explore in 1870.

The record describes 12 distinct spots at Balintore Castle, including 10 interiors: main entrance hall / vestibule, great hall, gallery (overlooking the great hall) and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach drive and main façadeBalustraded viewing platform (top of main tower)Main entrance hall / vestibuleGreat hallGallery (overlooking the great hall)Dining roomLibraryButler's pantryDinner service roomBeer cellarWomen's servant's sitting room and brushing roomBedrooms and lumber room

Build Your Own Castle

Recreate Balintore Castle with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1870, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

Recreate this castle →Defend this castle →

Whose castle

Clans who held Balintore Castle.

The families that held Balintore Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Lyon

    Balintore was designed in 1859 by William Burn as a sporting lodge for David Lyon.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Balintore Castle.

Tannadice Park, ScotlandStadiumTannadice Park29 km awayBalmoral Castle, ScotlandPalaceBalmoral Castle36 km away

Questions about Balintore Castle

What is the history of Balintore Castle?

Balintore Castle was commissioned as a sporting lodge in the 19th century for David Lyon. It was designed in 1859 by William Burn and was later used only during the shooting season. After abandonment in the 1960s, it stood empty until 2007 before restoration and reoccupation began.

What is inside Balintore Castle?

Balintore Castle contains a great hall with a gallery overlooking it, along with a dining room, library and bedrooms. Its surviving documented service spaces include a butler's pantry, dinner service room, beer cellar, women's servant's sitting room, brushing room and lumber room.

Why was Balintore Castle built, and what was it used for?

Balintore Castle was built as a sporting lodge for David Lyon. It was intended for sporting use, and later served as a seasonal shooting residence, being used only during the shooting season.

Where is Balintore Castle?

Balintore Castle is above Balintore village on elevated moorland, a few miles north of the Loch of Lintrathen near Kirriemuir in Angus. It occupies a site above the village in the Angus administrative area.

What did Balintore Castle look like in its prime?

Balintore Castle is a mid-Victorian Scottish Baronial mansion of grey masonry. Its irregular silhouette has numerous round and square turreted towers, steep gables, tall chimney stacks and varied rooflines. The main tower is topped by a balustraded viewing platform and clustered pinnacles, while smaller corbelled turrets mark the corners.

Is Balintore Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Balintore Castle is still standing and is described as restored. It was abandoned after extensive dry rot in the 1960s, and its condition deteriorated while it stood empty until 2007. Restoration and reoccupation followed its period of abandonment.

Who built Balintore Castle?

Balintore Castle was designed by the architect William Burn and commissioned as a sporting lodge for David Lyon. William Burn was therefore the designer, while David Lyon was the person who commissioned the building.

Which family or clan held Balintore Castle?

Balintore Castle is associated with the Lyon family through David Lyon, for whom William Burn designed it as a sporting lodge in 1859. The supplied family history identifies Lyon as the relevant family connection.

Does anyone live at Balintore Castle now?

Someone lives at Balintore Castle now: it is in the hands of a Scotsman who is restoring it and residing there. The castle was previously abandoned and stood empty until 2007.

More castles of Scotland

Tarbert Castle, ScotlandTarbert CastleTorwood Castle, ScotlandTorwood CastleMerchiston Tower, ScotlandMerchiston Tower
All castles of Scotland · Castles of Europe · the best castles in Europe · explore the finished reconstructions.