I can’t quite recall how I first came across the ruins of Balintore Castle, but I’m glad I did. When I visited for the first time, sometime around 2017, it was in a pretty rough state, still early in its restoration journey.

I won’t go into too much detail about the castle’s history, most of which I’ve gathered from other sources, but here’s the short version: it was originally built in the mid-19th century by a Member of Parliament named David Lyon, who used it as a sporting lodge. Over the years, it fell into disrepair, plagued by dry rot, and was eventually abandoned in the 1960s.

After many attempts, David Johnston finally managed to take ownership of the castle and has been restoring it ever since. His dedication, and that of the many people who’ve helped along the way, is truly inspiring.

Below are some of the photos and videos I took during my last visit with the drone:

Additional reading

• Stay at Balintore Castle
• Balintore Blog
• Wikipedia – Balintore Castle
• Buildings at Risk – Balintore Castle
• Balintore Castle – Bringing an Historic Building Back to Life