Balhousie Castle
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Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(on Hay Street, originally a few hundred metres north of the medieval town), dates to 1631, though its origins are believed to go back a further three hundred years. It originally served as the seat of the Earls of Kinnoull
Earl of Kinnoull
Earl of Kinnoull is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for George Hay, 1st Viscount of Dupplin. Other associated titles are: Viscount Dupplin , Lord Hay of Kinfauns and Baron Hay of Pedwardine . The former two are in the Peerage of Scotland, while the last is in the Peerage...
, and stood within a walled enclosure containing subsidiary buildings, orchards etc. on a terrace overlooking the North Inch (a large public park) of Perth.
After falling into neglect in the early 19th century, the Castle was 'restored' (in fact, virtually rebuilt), and extensively remodelled on a larger scale in 1862-63 in the Baronial style by the architect David Smart. No original features survive except for parts of the original rubble walls on the east side.
In 1962, the Castle became the Regimental Headquarters and Museum of The Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
. The latter displays the history of the regiment from 1739 to the present. The Black Watch Heritage Appeal was launched in September 2009 to raise in excess of £3.2 million to develop Balhousie Castle to provide a permanent home for the museum and archive of The Black Watch. The Regimental Trustees bought Balhousie Castle in January 2009.