Dalcross Castle

Dalcross Castle stands on a ridge about two and a half kilometres southwest of Croy in the Highlands, roughly eleven kilometres northeast of Inverness. Built as a tower house in the 17th century, it began as the property of the Frasers of Lovat before passing to the Mackintoshes. The sixth Lord Lovat erected the first castle here in 1621, and the clan chief Sir Lachlan Mackintosh died within its walls in 1704. By 1731 another Lachlan Mackintosh was buried in the family vault at Dalcross so that his people could pay their respects. The castle witnessed important events before the battle of Culloden in 1746, when Hanoverian troops mustered on the site. After falling into ruin, it was restored in the 20th century by descendants of the Mackintosh lairds, possibly under the direction of W L Carruthers in 1896. The entrance arch and gate lodge are separately listed, and the grounds are recognised as part of Scotland’s designed landscapes. Modernisation by Maxwell & Company Architects was completed in 2003, turning the castle into a place where up to twelve guests can stay. Inside, the castle shows its L-plan form with two offset wings joined at a corner. One wing rises five storeys while the other has three, connected by a projecting square tower topped by a watch-chamber. The basement vault contains cellars, a kitchen with a large arched fireplace, and a wine cellar. A wide main stair leads to the first-storey hall, where a carved chimney piece bears the motto ‘Je Trouve Bien’. The upper bedrooms are reached by a small turnpike stair, and the red-rubble walls are dressed with ashlar details. Outside, walled gardens surround the castle, offering quiet views across the ridge.