Undiscovered Scotland

 

Balfour Castle has ceased to be an exclusive use venue and, according to its website, is now a private house. The rest of this page remains largely as it was when the castle was available for exclusive use, but is now out of date.

Balfour Castle was built from 1847-8 by the Edinburgh architect David Bryce for David Balfour, who had inherited the Balfour family estate including Shapinsay in 1846.

Bryce's work led to large changes to the original Cliffdale House. While much of the original structure is still there, the Balfour Castle that emerged was up to three times larger, sandwiching the original house between a new service wing to the rear, and the grand and imposing new public rooms that make Balfour Castle so easily recognisable today.

Less obvious was the extension of Bryce's vision to include the framing of Balfour Castle in views from the sea by the extensive sweep of planted woodland to its north. And hidden away within the woodland was two acres of walled gardens. Balfour Castle's gardens are laid out as two large walled squares, one to the north of the other. Associated with the gardens is a collection of south facing greenhouses, plus storage sheds and what look as if they were once were gardeners' cottages.

Finding the gardens in the midst of the woodland is a surprise. You approach from Balfour Castle along a woodland path lined on one side with stunning flower beds. This leads to greenhouses at the south-west corner of the gardens. Within the walls you find a sheltered oasis. The borders tend to be given over to flowers, while the body of the gardens help provide for the castle kitchen.