What is recorded here

Ballone Castle stands two storeys high above perpendicular rocks, its square and round corner towers still piercing the Highland sky after centuries of storm and neglect. Built in the late 16th century for the Dunbars and later held by the MacKenzies, the Z-plan fortress contained vaulted bake-houses and stair turrets that turned a cliff edge into a defensible home. It lost its first name when the Earldom of Cromartie rose in 1703, becoming Castlehaven before returning to Ballone by the 19th century. The missing upper chamber may have held maps, ledgers or love letters, but the stones still keep the shape of the hands that climbed them.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Ballone Castle as Enclosure(s) (period Unassigned)(possible). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 100m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Ballone Castle is a 16th-century tower house located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and was likely built by the Gordon family, a powerful noble lineage in the region. It is remembered for its historical association with the Gords and as an example of early defensive architecture in northeast Scotland.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.