Bowmont House in Blood of My Blood: The Airbnb That Never Existed in 1714
Episode 2 of Blood of My Blood gives us Bowmont House, supposedly the lairdly seat of Clan Grant in 1714.
It’s elegant, airy, and filled with wide windows perfect for sipping wine while staring wistfully at the Highlands. Pretty? Yes. Historically accurate? Not even close.
Starz gave us “Scottish Jane Austen cosplay” instead of Highland grit.
A clan chief in 1714 wasn’t lounging in a pastel parlor with wide sash windows and a fruit bowl.
The reality? Drafty castles, peat smoke, and defensive architecture. History got turned into a theme park brochure.
What the Grants Actually Lived In
Castle Grant (formerly Freuchie Castle) was the true ancestral seat of Clan Grant.
Built in the 15th century and expanded in the 17th, it was a Z-plan tower house: fortress first, comfort second.
Thick stone walls, narrow windows, giant fireplaces, and interiors that smelled of peat smoke. By 1714, the Grants weren’t in Georgian parlors—they were in fortified halls.
Other holdings, like Ballindalloch Castle, followed the same pattern: fortified towers and heavy stone layouts designed for survival during sieges. Functional, not fancy.
How Bowmont House in Blood of My Blood Falls Flat
On screen, Bowmont House looks like a Georgian country estate, more Jane Austen than Jacobite.
Wide sash windows, airy rooms, and polished décor don’t fit 1714 Scotland.
The real Highland laird’s concerns weren’t drapery and lighting—they were politics and survival on the edge of rebellion.
- Wrong period style: Georgian country houses came later (1750s–1800s).
- Wrong setting: Clan Grant’s real home was Castle Grant, a fortified stronghold.
- Too posh, too soon: Romantic estate vibes are post-Jacobite fantasy, not pre-1715 reality.
Timeline Reality Check
- 15th–16th centuries: Castle Grant (née Freuchie) and Ballindalloch built as defensive castles.
- By 1714: Still defensive, still rugged, with only modest stylistic upgrades.
- On TV: Pure fantasy. A Highland chief in 1714 would laugh at Bowmont House’s big windows, shiver in the draft, retreat to the real and demand at swordpoint the return of his castle hearth.
The Verdict
Bowmont House is historically accurate only if you believe Highland chiefs were living in suburban show homes before Georgian style even arrived.
The real Grants of 1714 were based in Castle Grant: drafty, fortified, and utterly practical. Not glamorous, but authentic.
So the next time Starz tries to pass off a country estate as Clan Grant’s ancestral home, pour yourself a glass of something strong and laugh. At least the wine will be authentic—even if the history isn’t. But it sure is fabulous to watch.
