Balhousie Castle

Balhousie Castle stands on a terrace overlooking the North Inch in Perth, Scotland. Built in 1631, it traces its origins three centuries earlier. The Earls of Kinnoull once used it as their seat within a walled enclosure that included orchards and other buildings. By the early 19th century the castle had fallen into neglect before being virtually rebuilt between 1862 and 1864 in the Scottish Baronial style by architect David Smart. Only parts of the original rubble walls on the east side remain from the earlier structure. The castle now serves as the Regimental Headquarters and Museum of The Black Watch. The museum covers the regiment’s history from 1739 to today. In 2009 the Regimental Trustees bought the castle and launched the Black Watch Heritage Appeal, raising over £3.2 million to create a permanent home for the museum and archives. Among its displays is the painting No Surrender by Frank Feller, which shows the aftermath of the Battle of Magersfontein in the Second Boer War. Visitors find a castle that blends restored grandeur with military heritage. The museum occupies rooms inside the building, while the surrounding terrace offers views across the North Inch. A wall on the castle grounds once appeared in John Everett Millais’s painting The Love of James the First of Scotland. The site remains a place where history is both preserved and displayed.