The Earls and Countesses of Crawford and Balcarres, Scotland’s most ancient earldom, have held the seat of Balcarres for almost five centuries. John Lindsay, Lord Menmuir, purchased the lands in 1586, further expanding the fortified tower house during his lifetime. Over twenty generations of our family have called this place home, continuously striving to shape and improve the local landscape and estate infrastructure. The nearby village of Colinsburgh was built by Colin Lindsay in the early eighteenth century to house his army, while farming endeavours are reflected in the Estate’s very name: baile carrach means “stony settlement” in Scottish Gaelic.
Family History
Balcarres House
& Gardens
The seat of Clan Lindsay, category A-listed Balcarres House dates back to 1511, although much of the present-day building is the result of alterations and additions by noted architects William Burn and David Bryce during the nineteenth century. Balcarres House remains the private family home of the Lindsay family and is lived in by the 30th Earl and Countess of Crawford and Balcarres.