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Blair Castle's white harled facade and conical turrets stand behind a screen of pine trees.
Perthshire

Blair Castle

The white-harled seat of the Dukes of Atholl at Blair Atholl, begun as Comyn's Tower in 1269, home of Europe's only private army, with the Hercules Garden.

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Welcome

Standing white among tall Scots pines at Blair Atholl, its turrets and crow-stepped gables bright against the dark hills, Blair Castle has been the home of the Atholl family for more than seven centuries.

Visited and photographed by Simon Hird

It began as Comyn's Tower, built here in 1269, and has been enlarged and remade by each age since.

It has seen its share of history. In 1746 Lord George Murray bombarded his own ancestral home in an attempt to take it back, before marching off to Culloden. Queen Victoria stayed for three weeks in 1844 and gave the Duke's men their colours, and the Atholl Highlanders remain Europe's only private army, on parade each May. Inside, the entrance hall bristles with muskets, swords and targes, some carried at Culloden, and the ballroom is the largest room in the castle.

In the grounds are the Hercules Garden, a Georgian walled garden restored with ponds and a Chinese bridge, and Diana's Grove of tall trees.

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The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
Before you go

Open every day from ten until five, with last entry at quarter to four.

Tickets cover the castle and gardens; the Tullibardine restaurant and a shop are on site.

Where
Blair Atholl, Pitlochry PH18 5TL.
Open
Daily, 10am to 5pm; last entry 3.45pm.
In the grounds
The Hercules Garden and Diana's Grove.

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Did you know

Blair Castle's white turreted towers rise above parkland trees and a clipped lawn.
Did you know

Europe's only private army.

The Atholl Highlanders, given their colours by Queen Victoria in 1844, are the only private army left in Europe.

Blair Castle's crow-stepped gables and turrets rise above hedges and a gravel drive.
Did you know

Besieged by its own.

In 1746 Lord George Murray bombarded his family's home with artillery, trying to take it back from government troops.

A wooden footbridge crosses a stream in front of Blair Castle's white turreted towers.
Did you know

Arms from Culloden.

Some of the muskets, swords and targes in the entrance hall were used at the Battle of Culloden.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Perthshire

A whitewashed colossus on a wide, forested estate on the edge of the village of Blair Atholl, this sumptuous castle is one of Perthshire’s – if not Scotland’s – must-sees. Its baronial interior, adapted over the course some 750 years, conjures a stirring vision of how the other half lived in centuries gone by. Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie both came calling.

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Where it is

At Blair Atholl, off the A9 north of Pitlochry.

Close byBlair Atholl and Killiecrankie.
  1. Blair Atholl WatermillBlair Atholl WatermillUnder a mile 1 min by road
  2. Killiecrankie Visitor CentreKilliecrankie Visitor Centre3 miles 6 min by road
  3. Pass of KilliecrankiePass of KilliecrankieA wooded gorge on the Garry, where the Jacobites won in 1689.3 miles 6 min by road
  4. Falls of BruarFalls of BruarA chain of waterfalls in a wooded gorge above Bruar.3 miles 6 min by road
  5. Wooden sign for Killiecrankie House, Restaurant & Rooms, framed by leavesKilliecrankie HouseA white country house by the Pass of Killiecrankie, now a restaurant with rooms, with tasting menus, a cocktail bar and whisky tastings.3 miles 6 min by road
  6. Soldier's LeapSoldier's LeapThe rock where a redcoat is said to have leapt the Garry in 1689.3 miles 7 min by road
Directions
A stone farmhouse with dormer windows sits behind a timber post and rail fence, trees and hills visible beyond.Blair AthollMilton of KincraigieSleeps 4 · 1.4 miles
The House of Bruar, PerthshireAttractionsThe House of Bruar3.3 miles
Loch Tummel stretches between wooded hills, framed by autumn leaves at Queen's ViewAttractionsQueen’s View3.5 miles as the crow flies
River gorge cutting through autumn woodland at the Pass of KilliecrankieAttractionsGarry Bridge4.6 miles
Cyclist in Wilderness Scotland jersey rides a lochside track lined with treesAttractionsLoch Tummel5.5 miles as the crow flies
Yellow pedal boats and a red rowing boat moored beside a wooden jettyAttractionsPitlochry Boating Station & Adventure Hire6.9 miles
Wooden hut with stag emblem beside a picnic bench and lawnAttractionsPitlochry Putting Green7.0 miles
Highland Soap Co shopfront with bay window on a stone corner buildingShoppingThe Highland Soap Company7.0 miles
Turquoise-fronted Hetties tearoom, offering "Great Food, Cakery, Takeaway" and ice creamCafeHettie's Tea Rooms7.0 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the castle, and when each is next free.

A stone farmhouse with dormer windows sits behind a timber post and rail fence, trees and hills visible beyond.Milton of Kincraigie
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Blair Atholl
  • A mile from Blair Castle
Check datesA stone cottage with a gabled dormer window catches evening light among autumn trees, a bench and picnic table on the gravel outside.Charlottefield
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Tulliemet
  • 10 miles from Blair Castle
Check datesA red sandstone and grey stone Victorian house stands wreathed in morning mist, a shrub with orange autumn leaves in the foreground.The House at Dun Aluinn
  • Sleeps 18
  • In Aberfeldy
  • 11 miles from Blair Castle
Check datesA sign reading "Garden Cottage" hangs on a white gate before a gravel drive, the white cottage and hills visible beyond.Garden Cottage
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Perthshire
  • 12 miles from Blair Castle
Free 14–17 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in PerthshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Perthshire.

ArticleScottish Estate Escapes: Home Sweet Holiday HomeArticleScotland's Most Scenic Train JourneysCollectionCastle Gardens in ScotlandCollectionCastles in Scotland Worth the Entry Fee
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