Gilbert Balfour (died 1576) was a 16th-century Scottish courtier and mercenary captain. He probably played the leading role in the murder of

Lord Darnley Lord Darnley is a noble title associated with a Scottish Lordship of Parliament, first created in 1356 for the family of Stewart of Darnley and tracing a descent to the Dukedom of Richmond in England. The title's name refers to Darnley in Scot ...

, consort of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

. He was the second son of Andrew Balfour of Mountquhanie in

Kilmany Kilmany (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cille Mheinidh'') is a village and parish in Fife, Scotland. It is located on the A92 between Auchtermuchty and the Tay Road Bridge. In 2001 it had a population of 75. The current name of the village derives from an o ...

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

, and Janet Bruce. Balfour married Margaret Bothwell, the sister of

Adam Bothwell Adam Bothwell, Lord of Session (c.1527, Edinburgh – 1593, Edinburgh), was a Scottish clergyman, judge, and politician. He served as Bishop of Orkney (1559), Commendator of Holyrood House (1570), Extraordinary Lord of Session (1563–4), and as ...

Bishop of Orkney The Bishop of Orkney was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Orkney, one of thirteen medieval bishoprics of Scotland. It included both Orkney and Shetland. It was based for almost all of its history at St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. The bi ...

who endowed him with the isle of

Westray Westray (, sco, Westree) is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, with a usual resident population of just under 600 people. Its main village is Pierowall, with a heritage centre, the 15th-century Lady Kirk church and pedestrian ferry servic ...

, when it was episcopal property. In 1565 Mary, Queen of Scots, appointed him her Master of Household, a leading servant responsible for wages and the provision of food. At Noltland on Westray, he had built one of the most impressive castles in the Orkney Islands, and indeed the

Northern Isles The Northern Isles ( sco, Northren Isles; gd, Na h-Eileanan a Tuath; non, Norðreyjar; nrn, Nordøjar) are a pair of archipelagos off the north coast of mainland Scotland, comprising Orkney and Shetland. They are part of Scotland, as are th ...

. It is situated above the Bay of Pierowall, was built in the 1560s. It is notable for an unusually large spiral staircase, "second only to

Fyvie Castle Fyvie Castle is a castle in the village of Fyvie, near Turriff in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. History The earliest parts of Fyvie Castle date from the 13th century – some sources claim it was built in 1211 by William the Lion. Fyvie was the si ...

, while its triple tiers of

gunloop An embrasure (or crenel or crenelle; sometimes called gunhole in the domain of gunpowder-era architecture) is the opening in a battlement between two raised solid portions (merlons). Alternatively, an embrasure can be a space hollowed out ...

s are without parallel in Scotland, if not Europe".Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) ''Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland''. London. HarperCollins. In January 1573, Gilbert Balfour and his brothers, James Balfour of Pittendreich and Robert Balfour, were pardoned for treason and other crimes by

Regent Morton James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (c. 1516 – 2 June 1581, aged 65) was the last of the four regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI. He was in some ways the most successful of the four, since he won the civil war that had b ...

and given a caution or bail of 10,000

merks The merk is a long-obsolete Scottish silver coin. Originally the same word as a money mark of silver, the merk was in circulation at the end of the 16th century and in the 17th century. It was originally valued at 13 shillings 4 pence (exactly ...

to continue in good behaviour. Morton required Balfour and his wife to surrender Westray Castle and his lands at Noltland to

Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and Lord of Zetland (Shetland) (spring of 1533 – 4 February 1593) was a recognised illegitimate son of James V, King of Scotland, and his mistress Eupheme Elphinstone. Robert Stewart was half-brother to M ...

, who was feuar of Orkney and Zetland, and his wife Jean Kennedy.John Hill Burton, ''Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1569-1578'', vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1878), pp. 340-1. Before he could ever use the castle, Balfour was executed in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

for participating in the Mornay Plot against King

John III of Sweden John III ( sv , Johan III, fi, Juhana III; 20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. He was also, quite autonomous ...

. Ownership of Noltland passed to Archibald Balfour of Westray and on to

Andrew Balfour of Montquhanie Andrew Balfour of Montquhanie (died 1615) was a Scottish landowner. Career He was a son of Michael Balfour of Montquhanie and Mariota Adamson, a daughter of Patrick Adamson, Archbishop of St Andrews. Michael Balfour took some of jewels of Mary, Qu ...

References

16th-century Scottish people People from Orkney Scottish mercenaries 1576 deaths Masters of the Scottish royal household {{Scotland-bio-stub