Editing Clan Ross (section)

==Castles==

*[[Balnagown Castle]], eight miles north-east of [[Alness]] was originally built in the fourteenth century but was extended in later years.<ref name="Coventry"/> The castle was first built by the Rosses in 1375.<ref name="Coventry"/> The castle was lost by the Ross chiefs in the eighteenth century due to debt but was bought from them by the Rosses of Hawkhead who were a southern branch of the clan.<ref name="Coventry"/> The property remained with the Ross family until 1978.<ref name="Coventry"/> There are stories of two ghosts in the castle: the first is of ''black'' [[Munro of Milntown|Andrew Munro of Milntown]] who is said to have been hanged from Balnagown Castle in 1522 after being found guilty of many dastardly deeds.<ref name="Coventry"/> (However, historian Alexander Mackenzie says that Munro died after falling down the steps of his own Milntown Castle and breaking his neck before 1522).<ref>Mackenzie, Alexander. (1898). ''History of the Munros of Fowlis''. pp. 273–274.</ref> Munro's ghost is said to manifest itself into women.<ref name="Coventry"/> The other ghost is of a young woman clad in grey dress with auburn hair and green eyes.<ref name="Coventry"/> The story goes that her skeleton is walled up somewhere in the castle.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Hawkhead Castle]] was a mile east of [[Paisley, Renfrewshire|Paisley]] in [[Renfrewshire]].<ref name="Coventry"/> It consisted of a strong keep and tower that were later incorporated into a mansion.<ref name="Coventry"/> Hawkhead was a property of the Rosses from the middle of the fifteenth century and they built the original castle.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Arnage Castle]], near Ellon, Aberdeenshire is a Z-plan tower house that was sold to [[Provost John Ross|John Ross]], Provost of Aberdeen in 1702.<ref name="Coventry"/> Not to be confused with ''Provost Ross's House'' that was home of the same John Ross and now houses part of [[Aberdeen Maritime Museum]].<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Balconie Castle]], near Alness, Ross and Cromarty, was held by the Earls of Ross.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*Caisteal nan Corr, also known as Invercassley, near [[Lairg]] in [[Sutherland]], are the slight remains of a tower house once held by the Rosses.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*Pitcalnie Castle, near [[Cromarty]], is the site of a castle that was held by the Munros but passed to the Rosses in the eighteenth century.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Portencross Castle]], also known as Ardneil Castle, near [[West Kilbride]], in [[Ayrshire]] was originally held by the Rosses but passed to the [[Clan Boyd]] after the Wars of Scottish Independence.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Sanquhar Castle]] near Sanquhar in Dumfries and Galloway was once held by the Rosses but passed to the [[Clan Crichton]] in the fourteenth century,<ref name="Coventry"/> and then much later to the [[Clan Douglas]].<ref name="Coventry"/>
*Shandwick Castle, near [[Balintore, Easter Ross]] was held by the Rosses of Shandwick.<ref name="Coventry"/> (The Rosses of Shandwick are the present chiefs of Clan Ross). [[Ronald Ross|Sir Ronald Ross]] of Shandwick was an eminent physician who discovered the cause of [[Malaria]].<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Tain & District Museum|Tain Through Time]] in [[Tain]], Ross and Cromarty has information about the Rosses in a Clan Ross centre.<ref name="Coventry"/>