the history of balbirnie house

Balbirnie House dates back to 1777, having been commissioned by The Balfour family who were a very influential agricultural and coal mining family at the time.

The house was originally designed by the architect John Nisbet in 1777 and was then extended by Robert Crichton in 1815, and is now listed as Grade A of architectural and historical importance, most probably built as one of the largest and earliest Grecian style houses in Scotland.

The park surrounding Balbirnie extends to 416 acres of undulating scenery, and is landscaped in the style of Capability Brown, including many specimen trees and a collection of magnificent rhododendrons which is unrivalled in the East of Scotland. Views from the house extend over flowering garden lawns and trimmed yew hedges to woodland walks around the park. The first tee off for Balbirnie Park’s 18 hole golf course is a short amble from the hotel.
 
Also within the park is the Balbirnie craft centre, housed in the original old stable block. Crafts sold include jewellery, pottery, glassworks, and leather goods.