Blair Castle

Blair was begun in 1269 and has been the seat of the Murrays, Earls and then Dukes of Atholl, since 1629, though the building was remodelled twice, first stripped to a Georgian mansion in the 1740s and then restored to castellated form in the 1870s, which is why it reads as white harled Scots baronial. Thirty rooms are open, from a Victorian ballroom panelled in pine and hung with antlers to eighteenth-century plasterwork rooms. Its most unusual feature is the Atholl Highlanders: after a visit in 1844 Queen Victoria granted the Duke the right to bear arms, and the regiment that resulted remains the only legally recognised private army in Europe, parading annually in late May with a Highland games the following day. The grounds hold a large walled garden, the Hercules Garden, and a grove of very tall conifers.

Highlights

• The ballroom - pine panelling hung with a large collection of antlers.
• The Atholl Highlanders - Europe's only legal private army, parading each May.
• The two remodellings - Georgian stripping and Victorian re-castellation.
• Hercules Garden - a large walled garden with a pond and orchards.

When to go

April to October for the castle and gardens; the Atholl Gathering and Highland games fall in late May and are the main event of the year. Winter opening is very limited.

Things to know

Thirty rooms is a long route and takes two hours or more. Photography inside is not allowed. The parade and games days bring large crowds and restricted parking. The castle closes for parts of winter.

Nearby

The Falls of Bruar and Killiecrankie are close; Pitlochry lies south.

Key facts