Blair Castle

Entry gate to Blair Castle

Blair Castle is located in northern Perthshire, near the village of Blair Atholl in central Scotland, in the southern Highlands (the Grampians). Historically, it was a strategic location which controlled the main route from the south up to Inverness.  Atholl (from the Gaelic Ath Fodhla) was an ancient Pictish Kingdom, which had kings in very early times. After that, Mormaers ruled over the area, and finally earls and dukes in later times.

Blair Castle

Blair Castle is now known as the seat of nineteen generations of Stewarts and Murrays of Atholl (earls and dukes).  But some of the earlier earls were named Strathbogie (said to have been a semi-Normanized Gaelic family from Fife) including: David de Strathbogie, 8^th Earl of Atholl (d. 1270), John de Strathbogie, 9^th Earl of Atholl (d. 1306) and David II Strathbogie  (d. 1326). Records show that in 1269, their neighbor John Cumming (Comyn) Lord of Badenoch moved in while the then earl was away on the crusades, and started building a tower. The earl complained to King Alexander III and regained his land. He kept the tower and incorporated it into his own castle. Cumming's Tower still stands as the oldest and tallest part of the castle. After rebelling against the king, Robert the Bruce in 1322, David II was forced to forfeit the titles and estates.

Click to enlarge photo

Above you can just see the tip top of Cumming's Tower at the back of the castle.

Clock Tower

As you can see, it was a bright, sunny day when we visited Blair Castle last September. First, we went inside to tour the castle. The entrance hall is amazing as it also serves as an armory with a massive amount of historical weaponry on display including targes and muskets used at the Battle of Culloden. We were only allowed to take photos in one room within the castle. This room displayed many weapons, armor, paintings and other historical pieces.

Chainmail armor, spears and other weapons

Gambeson or padded under armor with weapons

Thomas Stewart, Lieut. 77^th (Atholl) Highlanders , 1776 -1783

saddle

 Throughout the castle we saw many red deer stag heads and antlers. One reason for this is that red deer have been kept and raised at the estate for centuries as pets or like livestock in the Red Deer park. Lots of them were named. The stag in the entry hall was named Tilt after nearby Glen Tilt. He was killed in a fight with another stag in 1850 at age 13. Click here to see a photo of the Entrance Hall. You can just see Tilt's head behind the table.

Click this photo to enlarge

 The earldom changed hands several times over the next century. It was held briefly by a Campbell and others until 1457 when King James II granted the earldom of Atholl to his half-brother John Stewart as a reward. John was sent to subdue the troublesome Macdonalds, Lords of the Isles, with the royal injunction Furth Fortune and fill the fetters. A modern day translation would be: Get the chains on him and the future's yours. He was successful in his quest and this became the family motto. The 3^rd Earl added the great hall to Blair Castle. Mary Queen of Scots visited the 4^th Earl in 1564 and stayed at Blair Castle. The 5^th Earl died without sons in 1595. He had a daughter, Dorothea who married Sir William Murray of Tullibardine. Her son, John, became the 1^st Murray Earl of Atholl in 1629 and the title has remained with the Murrays since then. The title Earl of Atholl has been recreated ten times. Each time it was recreated, that person was the 1^st Earl of Atholl.

Padded under armor and helm

Red deer stag and hinds (females) in the Red Deer Park

Part of the red deer herd

Click this photo to enlarge

 An amazing view over the Scottish countryside. The grass is incredibly green. I loved seeing the mountains in the distance.

Stone wall that encloses Diana's Grove

A road through the beautiful estate.

I hope you've enjoyed this brief tour.  Next time we'll take a walk through Diana's Grove and see the incredible tall trees.

Thanks!

Vonda

www.vondasinclair.com

 Lady Angelique Drummagan, a half-Scottish, half-French countess, has suffered much pain and betrayal in her past. She wants nothing to do with the sensual Scottish warrior that the king has ordered her to marry because the rogue could never be a faithful husband, but she has little choice in the matter. Dangerous, greedy enemies threaten her from all sides and she's in dire need of his protection.

Sir Lachlan MacGrath, known as Seducer of the Highlands, possesses a charming wickedness and canny wit which has earned him much popularity. After the king decrees that he wed the fiery hellion, Lachlan discovers there is one woman who can resist him--Angelique. Can he break through her icy façade and melt her heart, or will the dark secrets lurking in her past not only cost them their future together, but their very lives?