Blair Castle
Blair Castle is located about 8 miles from Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire and is the seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl. It was one of the first private homes to open to the public in Scotland. Much of the current building was built in 18th century and it is more of a palace than a castle now. There are about 30 rooms open to the public. Inside the castle is a display of arms and armour, and collections of fine pictures, furniture, porcelain, embroidery, Masonic regalia and family memorabilia.
The first castle building was a single tower built in 1269 by John Cumming of Badenoch. The tower is still there and is the tallest part of the Castle. The castle was redeveloped and extended in the medieval, Georgian and Victorian eras. Blair Castle was captured by Oliver Cromwell's army in 1652. The Jacobites besieged the castle in 1746 before the battle of Culloden. After the Jacobite defeat at Culloden it was occupied by the English.