Blair Atholl - Blair Castle - Scotland a brief description

Blair Atholl - Earls and Dukes

The old castle, stronghold of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl, situated in the wide valley of Garry, controls a stracegic point at the main road from Perth to Inverness. I lies north of the road in a wild and romantic area, surrounded by forest hills and picturesque rivers. About a mile east the river Tilt on his southeastern way to Killiecrankie joins the river Garry. The Banvie flows along the castle and tumbles into a narrow gorge.

The access to the Castle leads the visitor through a long linden tree alley to its white east front. The castle saw the pomp of royal visits during 700 years and was not less than four times conquered, besieged and partly destroyed. The style of architecture has changed several times to adjust to the taste of a series of generations.

In 1269 David, crusader and Earl of Atholl complained to Alexander III. that John Comyn (or Cumming/ de Comines) of Badenoch (grandfather of Robert de Bruce) entered Atholl and began to build a castle in Blair during his absence. The main tower is thus named Cumming Tower.

The last Earl of Atholl of royal celtic origin died before 1211 and the Earldom was succeeded by David of Strathbogie as heir-female who lost his dominions opposing to the Bruce. After belonging to King Robert II. and his son Walter (who intented to succeed his father on the throne and therefore persuaded Robert Stewart and Robert Graham to kill King James I, but died that same year, the Earldom was succeeded 1457 by the half-brother (by his mother) of King James II., Sir John Stewart of Balvenie, the ancestor of the current Atholl family.

As the first Earl of the new line received the instruction to oppress the rising of John MacDonald of the Isles, the instruction read "Furth fortune and Fill the Fetters" (force fortune and make prisoners) - this became the family's Motto. The heir-male line extinguished 1595 and until 1625 the Earldom belonged to heir-males of his brother. In 1629 the Earldom was succeeded by John Murray, Master of Tullibardine, whose mother, Lady Dorothea Stewart was heiress to the 5th Earl of Atholl.

Castles I visited

Edinburgh	Eilean Donan	Duntulm	Dun Bheagan	Dunrobin	Cawdor	Blair Atholl	Braemar	Kirkwall	Strome	Knock	Moil

Armadale	Mey	Stirling	Tantallon	Thurso	Birsay	Kirkwall	Balmoral	Stuart	Corgarff	Stalker	Ackergill Tower

Inverness	Balvenie	Loch Lomond	Dun Sciath	Kilravock Castle	Elgin	old Keiss	new Keiss	Girnigoe	Sinclair	Urquhart	Old Wick

Carbisdale	Tongue		Tarbert">	Stonefield">	Sadell	Torisdale	Skipness	Carnasserie	Dunadd	Dunstaffnage	Barcaldine

Brodick	Lochranza							Ruthven Barracks	Fort William	Fort Augustus	Fort George