Scottish castle and Jacobite hideaway for sale for less than £1m

A historic castle that became a Jacobite hiding place following the Battle of Culloden has gone on the market for less than £1m.
Balbithan Castle near Kintore, Aberdeenshire. PIC Contributed.Balbithan Castle near Kintore, Aberdeenshire. PIC Contributed.
Balbithan Castle near Kintore, Aberdeenshire. PIC Contributed.

Balbithan Castle is described as a “delightful and beautiful” country home in a very private setting near Kintore, Aberdeenshire.

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Castle for sale for less than Edinburgh semi-detached

The nine-bedroom pile has gone on the market at a reduced price of £950,000, having previously been offered for £1.2m.

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Balbithan, a Grade-A listed property, has a long and interesting history with a house on the site since the 1400s.

Parts of the current home date from the 17th Century and in 1746 it was used as a Jacobite refuge following Culloden.

Lord Lewis Gordon, youngest son of the Duke of Gordon, hid out at Balbithan for eight to 10 weeks following the Jacobite defeat.

The young noble, who raised two battalions for Bonnie Prince Charlie’s army from Banffshire and Aberdeenshire, was then taken to Peterhead and shipped to France.

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Balbithan enjoys an extremely secluded location with the original house built by a laird who wanted a home where “neither friend nor foe could find him.”

The harled granite property now sits over three levels with accommodation including four or five good reception roooms and up to nine bedrooms.

The main reception rooms sit on the first floor with a dining room, drawing room and “wonderful atmospheric library” all boasting open fires.

A large gallery space can be found on the second floor with the room used for weddings, functions and exhibitions in the past.

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Balbithan was bought by botanical artist Mary McMurtie in 1960 who completely renovated the house and developed the gardens, with her nursery specialising in alpines, rock, plants ad old garden flowers.

The gardens and the mature woodland which envelopes the property are a key feature of Balbithan.

-Balbithan Castle is being sold by CKD Galbraith.

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