The Atholl family seat, divided by Jacobite allegiance and besieged by Lord George Murray in 1746.
A family divided
The Murray family of Atholl split across the Jacobite conflicts. Some backed the government while others joined the exiled Stuarts. Charles Edward Stuart stayed at Blair in 1745, and Lord George Murray became one of the rising's most important commanders even though his brother held the dukedom on the government side.
The last castle siege
In March 1746 Lord George Murray besieged his own family home, then held by a government garrison. The operation failed when the Jacobites withdrew as the campaign moved toward Culloden. Blair is described by its custodians as the last castle in Britain to undergo a siege.
The story inside
The castle's collections and dedicated Jacobite exhibition explain the political split through family objects, documents and portraits. That domestic evidence makes Blair especially useful: allegiance appears not as a simple Highland-versus-Lowland divide, but as a choice that separated close relatives.
What to look for while you're here
- The Jacobite exhibition's family papers, objects and portraits.
- Comyn's Tower, the oldest surviving core of the castle.
- The later Georgian rooms that existed alongside the family's divided political loyalties.
Before you go
- The 2026 visitor season runs April to October. Event days can cause early closure; check the official calendar before travel.