Ballikinrain

Ballikinrain is an independent residential school in Stirling, central Scotland. It occupies Ballikinrain Castle, a 19th-century building designed in the Scottish Baronial style by architect David Bryce. The castle stands on an estate of 4,500 acres beside the Ballinkinrain Burn, which flows for about 4 kilometres through the grounds. It lies 2 kilometres south-east of Balfron and 5 kilometres west of Fintry in the Parish of Killearn. The surrounding landscape includes moorland and the Earl’s Seat, a hill rising to 578 metres. The castle has a notable history linked to Sir Archibald Orr-Ewing, a Conservative MP who commissioned the house in 1868. In 1913 a fire, attributed to suffragettes, caused extensive damage valued at £100,000, but it was restored by 1916. Later, during the Second World War, St Hilda’s School for Girls used the castle as a temporary home. The building is recognised as a category B listed structure. The grounds once hosted a tourist caravan park with a swimming pool fed by Campsie spring water. Visitors to the area can still see the grand castle and its stable block, which is being converted to housing. The estate includes two cottages that will be demolished and replaced. The Ballinkinrain Burn runs through the grounds, forming small cascades as it descends toward the Endrick Water. The site remains connected to its past through community groups for former residents and staff.