Blair Castle near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland

 "Now is the age of anxiety." -- W. H. Auden

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(in the central Scottish Highlands) Blair Atholl, on the River Garry, is the site of the 13th-century Blair Castle, the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl and home to Europe's last remaining private army, the Atholl Highlanders. The castle has endured quite a diverse history, witnessing both turbulent and peaceful times, enlarged and adapted over the course of time to suit the needs of the family and style of the day. Home to politicians, soldiers, agriculturalists, and entrepreneurs, the family's history is brought to life against a backdrop of fine 18th century interiors and Scottish baronial architecture, in 30 rooms. Nestled in the landscape of Highland Perthshire it has been home to 19 generations of Stewarts and Murrays of Atholl. Unique among Scottish castles, the story related here will take one from a visit by Mary Queen of Scots to the Civil War and from the Jacobite cause to the disaster of Culloden following Bonnie Prince Charlie's own stay in the castle. You'll learn how the lucky inheritance of a smuggler-infested island helped turn the castle into a comfortable home and how a visit from Queen Victoria led to the creation of Europe's only surviving private regiment, the Atholl Highlanders.