Many members will know of Dean Castle, situated within Dean Castle Country Park, Kilmarnock. Dean was restored to its former glory in  the 1930s by Lord Howard de Walden. Through the female line, Lord Howard de Walden descended from General John Scott of  Balcomie. To commemorate this Noble ancestry, his paternal Arms, Ellis, were quartered with the Arms of Scott of Balcomie, This genealogical connection, coupled together with the hazy memory of the last survivor of the restoration team, has led to an historical inaccuracy in the Dean Castle guide book and in the talks by the guides.

Roughly ten years ago, an elderly gentleman visited us one evening. He had four books that we could have, if they were of any interest to us?. These books were found in his attic in Aberfeldy, Perthshire. The largest was a leather bound account book, containing the Balgonie Estate accounts 1824 to 1845. The other three were small leather bound note books, gold blocked "Balgonie 1", "2" and "3". These turned out to be the Balgonie Factor's estate diary from 1900 to 1929.
The diary "Balgonie 3" brought new light on the origins of the Dean Castle Panelling, doors and ornamental plaster work. The panelling, etc, came from Balfour House, not Balcomie Castle. The Balfour estate had been absorbed in to the Balgonie estate in 1888. Balfour House was built around a l6thC. castle, the seat of the Beaton of Balfour family, the most famous of whom was Cardinal David Beaton of Balfour.  The House was remodelled in the 1820s and added to in the 1840s, in the Scots Baronial style. Balfour was blown up in the 1960s, anything left standing was bulldozed, leaving the large pile of rubble that is there to this day.

The diaries show that Balfour House was being run down from the beginning of the 2OthC., with various interior details being removed over the years. The entry for 6th of August 1929 reads as follows (including bad spelling and punctuation);

 
  "Balfour House, Intimation from Messrs. Strathern & Blair, W.S. that Balgonie Trustees have accepted Mr. J. Maxton   Graham's offer on behalf of Lord Howard-de-Walden to purchase certain plasterwork and fittings in Balfour House.
1. A wide fireplace of hewn freestone composed of two moulded jambs of late Scottish Gothic period (mid 16th Century)
and a lintel and shelf of the Charles 2nd period, in character belonging to the Classic Renaissance common in Scotland at that time.In the centre of the lintel, set within a cartouche, is the Coat-of-Arms of Balfour impaled with those of Muireson.
2. Early 17thCentury oak wainscotting formed by boards set vertically and given a simple panel treatment by the use of applied narrow moulded straps mitred at the joints.
3. Framed oak doors and their architrave's late 17th Century..
4. An early 17th Century plaster frieze, having a repeated design of swags of fruit, vegetables and a cherubs head.
5. A plaster ceiling of Charles 2nd period, composed of nine panels. The central panel has a moulded and enriched frame. It contains an oval decorated with vine clusters and their foliacious pendants, four square panels with frames enriched with egg and dart, and flower ornament. These contain a portrait of either "Alexander" or "King David".
Two small and two large rectangular panels with moulded frames enriched with egg and dart containing decorations in repeat of fruit, sprays and satyrs.
In addition to the above there are four moulded fleur-de-lys and an "Alexander" roundel in the ceiling of an upstairs bedroom. This room contained a fireplace with moulded stone jambs and oak panelling of Charles 2nd period There are pilasters on either side of the fireplace and over these a carved and moulded frieze and cornice. The other panels have projecting mouldings and the cornice and skirting are massive. Where the oriel window has been introduced the panelling is in pine."

The entries continue;-
"22nd. August. Balfour House. Nathaniel Greive's man and Mr. Richardson's draughtsman measuring panelling.
"14th October 1929. Balfour House. Workmen commenced removing panelling and ceiling here."
"7th November. Balfour House. Panelling, friezes and ceiling removed."

Some of these items are depicted, in situ in the Great Dining Room on page 24 of County Life's "Scottish Houses and Gardens",
published ~ 1997. This photograph also depicts the famous "Beaton Panels". These were originally in Arbroath Abbey, where David Beaton of Balfour was Lay Abbot, prior to becoming Archbishop of St.Andrews.
The diary has two entries for the "Beaton Panels".

"3Oth March 1923.Balfour House. Bethune panelling examined by
Mr. McArthy (Architect) and Mr. Curle, Keeper of Edinburgh Museum."
"23rd October.Balfour House. Bethune panels were taken down and removed to
Royal Scottish Museum on loan-Panels to be cleaned up and placed on exhibition."