Scottish Castles

Local information

Taymouth Castle, Perthshire

Location: PH15 2HH (map and directions)

Taymouth Castle lies just north-east of Kenmore in Perthshire and was constructed in a neo- Gothic style in the early 19th century by the Campbells of Breadalbane. The extravagant interior is decorated in carving, plasterwork and murals on a scale comparable to the finest architecture, past or present.

Taymouth Castle © Dudesleeper

History of Taymouth Castle

The castle stands on the site of the much older Balloch Castle which was built in 1550 but demolished in order to construct the larger structure seen today. In 1473 Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy was awarded land in Breadalbane as a reward for the capture of the murderer of King James I.

As the Campbells continued to expand throughout Tayside, another Sir Colin Campbell, known as Grey Colin, acquired Balloch Castle after evicting the resident McGregor chieftain. After a difficult 17th century for the Campbells including significant amounts of debt, Sir John Campbell became the 1st Earl of Breadalbane after marrying a London heiress and restoring some of the grandeur at Balloch in the 18th century.

Taymouth Castle © Stara Blazkova

It was the 1st Marquis of Breadalbane who demolished the refurbished Balloch Castle in order to make way for Taymouth Castle, which received a visit from a young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1842. In the early 20th century Taymouth operated as a hotel until World War II, when it was used as a home and headquarters for Civil Defence Training in Scotland.

The future of the castle is uncertain after recent plans to refurbish it as a luxury hotel collapsed.

Map and directions

Other castles in Perthshire