Blair Castle
History
The Cumming family built the first castle in
1269 and part of this still survives. In 1457 James II granted Blair to Sir John Stewart of
Balvenie. It passed to the Murrays in 1629.
The Blair
Castle was extended in 1503, but in 1768 it was partially
demolished and rebuilt as a Georgian mansion, known as Atholl House.
However, in 1869 David Bryce remodelled the castle in its
current neo-baronial manner and copied the entrance tower from Fyvie Castle. The white-painted
towers and turrets are visible from miles around.
Cromwell’s men attacked the castle in 1633. In 1746
Blair was attacked by General Lord George Murray to remove the Hanoverians,
the last British castle to suffer a siege.
The Duke of Atholl is the only person in Britain to
retain a private army, the Atholl Highlanders, who parade on certain days throughout the
year.
Blair Castle
Tour
This vast baronial mansion has 32 rooms open to the
public, ranging from tiny turrets to the large dining room and
ballroom.
Each one is packed with the Murray family’s
collection of treasures and lesser artifacts built up over many centuries. These include things
as diverse as Jacobite relics to a Norwegian sleigh.
Blair Castle
Map&Location
Blair Castle Address: Blair Atholl, Pitlochry,
Perthshire PH18 5TL, United Kingdom. Get help with directions using the map provided
bellow:
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