Ardblair Castle

Ardblair Castle, Blairgowrie, Scotland, was established by the Blairs during the Norman period.

The site began as a fort before the Blairs built a castle on the same ground. The property was granted to the Blairs of Balthavock in 1399 by David II. In the mid-16th century a major legal episode affected the family: in 1554 Patrick Blair of Ardblair stood trial and was beheaded for the murder of George Drummond of Ledcrieff and his son.

A new tower house was erected in the 1500s, and later building phases reshaped the complex over the 17th and 18th centuries. A courtyard was formed by subsequent additions, its gateway carrying the date 1668, and a sundial installed in the yard bears the year 1623. Much of the castle interior was updated in the 1700s; the main hall on the first floor received panelling and now functions as a dining room dating from that century. The lands around the castle once included an almost surrounding loch, which was substantially drained in later times.

Ownership passed by marriage to the Oliphants of Gask in 1792, and the estate remains with the Blair Oliphant family. During the 20th century many Jacobite relics were transferred to Ardblair from Gask. Caroline Nairne, the songwriter known as Lady Nairne, was a frequent visitor to the house. Local tradition associates a green lady ghost with the castle, usually identified as Lady Jean Drummond of Newton. The site has been recognised with category A listing by Historic Scotland.