- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1269 · 13th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 56.7734°, -3.8575°
History
The oldest part of the castle, Comyn's Tower, is traditionally said to have been built in 1269 by John Comyn of Badenoch while the Earl of Atholl was away on crusade. It became the seat of the Murrays, later Dukes of Atholl, and in 1564 Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed here. In 1689 it was held by Viscount Dundee, whose body was brought here after his victorious but fatal battle at Killiecrankie. In 1746 the Jacobite Lord George Murray besieged his own family home, then held by government troops – the last siege of a castle in Britain. In the 18th century the 2nd Duke of Atholl remodelled it as a Georgian mansion, and in 1869–1872 David Bryce restored its Scottish Baronial appearance.
What to see
The turreted white facade stands in parkland in the valley of the River Garry near Blair Atholl. Some 30 rooms are open, including an entrance hall hung with weapons, bedrooms, drawing rooms with portraits and porcelain, and a ballroom lined with dozens of stag antlers. The grounds include the walled Hercules Garden and Diana's Grove with its towering conifers.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q532627
Popularity: articles about this site in 17 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).