Balsarroch House

The ruins of Balsarroch House date to the late 17th century. Originally, it comprised two rectangular, two-storey ranges, one to the east and one to the west, linked by screen walls to the north and south. Today, the remains of the gabled north range and the north screen wall are visible. The construction is of rubble, originally lime-washed, and was originally crow-stepped and thatched. The openings are lintelled with rubble surrounds.

The interior originally contained two compartments, with a larger hall to the north, divided by a central gable. Within the hall, doorways face west, and fireplaces are located on the north and south sides. Segmental-arched mural windows are recessed into the east and west walls of the hall, flanking the central gable. A fireplace and aumbry (a cupboard for religious items) are present in the north gable. Aumbries are also found in the north and west walls of the smaller chamber, and a window embrasure is visible in the south gable.

A late 17th-century screen wall adjoins the northeast corner, also constructed of rubble and featuring a later weathering course and coped wallhead. An original segmental-arched opening is visible, made with rubble voussoirs and sandstone blocks in the jambs. Fragmentary remains of the east wall of the eastern range are also present.

A 19th-century walled garden, square in plan and built of rubble, is situated to the east of Balsarroch House. It features a bowed projection at the center of its east wall.

Balsarroch House was likely built by a member of the Campbell family, who held the lands of Balsarroch during the 16th and 17th centuries. The property later passed to the Ross family; notable descendants include the Arctic explorers, Rear-Admiral Sir John Ross and Sir James Clark Ross. According to a detailed description and plans by I.M. Smith, Balsarroch House represents an early example of non-defensive, non-tower-like dwellings built by middle-ranking lairds in western Galloway, a type not previously recognized in southwest Scotland. The house was still roofed and intact around 1916. A sundial from the property has been removed to Stranraer Museum.