Blair Castle, Blair Atholl 1977

Blair Castle, located in the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire, stands as one of Scotland’s most iconic and historic castles. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Grampian Mountains and surrounded by the vast wilderness of the Cairngorms National Park, it has been the ancestral seat of the Clan Murray and the Dukes of Atholl for over seven centuries.

The castle’s origins date back to 1269, when John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, began constructing a tower house on land disputed by the Murrays of Atholl. When the Murrays returned from the Crusades, they challenged Comyn’s claim and successfully regained the estate. Over the centuries, Blair Castle grew from a medieval stronghold into a grand baronial mansion, with successive generations adding towers, turrets, and Victorian-era extensions.

Blair Castle holds a unique place in Scottish military history. In 1746, during the last Jacobite rising, it was occupied by both Jacobite and government forces in quick succession. It was also the last castle in Britain to be besieged, when Jacobites surrounded it shortly before the Battle of Culloden. Later in the 19th century, Queen Victoria gave permission for the estate to raise a private army—the Atholl Highlanders—making them the only remaining private regiment in Europe, a ceremonial role they still hold today.

Visitors to Blair Castle can explore a remarkable collection of over 30 rooms, showcasing antique furniture, fine paintings, arms and armour, and a long gallery filled with family portraits. The castle’s grounds include the beautifully restored 18th-century Hercules Garden, a walled garden with ornamental ponds and statues, as well as wooded trails and deer parks.