Breadalbane Country

Breadalbane is a region in the middle of Scotland. The name comes from the gaelic for 'the high ground of Scotland.' It is the land of the Earls of Breadalbane from medieval times until the mid twentieth century and the Country of many of my ancestors.

The earls were from a branch of Campbells, cousins of the ones that built Inverary Castle. They were neighbours and often rivals. Their three castles still stand, sort of.

Kilchurn Castle built around 1450, used for 150 years, then utilized as a military garrison until the mid 1700s. Oh, the stories of political intrigue and deception that these walls could tell.

Finlarig Castle near Killin, built in the early 1600s. Not much of the original tower house left, hidden amongst oak trees on the edge of the village of Killin where we are staying.

Taymouth Castle, built in the early 19th century on the site of the 16th century Balloch House about 20 miles away at other end of Loch Tay from Killin and Finlarig Castle. We walked a mile or two along an avenue of trees and a golf course.

And arrived at this stonkingly huge, grand, empty castle.

It was a weird and eerie feeling walking around a castle that is not lived in but has curtains in the windows and restaurant furniture on the ground floor, and a maintained golf course that no one plays.

Since the 1940s Taymouth Castle has had a number of lives as a spa hotel, a school and a hospital. Millions of £ have been spent in recent decades trying to renovate it and reopen it as a luxury hotel but without success. As far as I can tell it is available for hire for weddings and special events, but mostly it sits empty, partly fenced off as a construction site. I think the white painted entrance on the side is garish and horrible. What were the owners thinking?

Meanwhile many of the Earl's workers lived here in Kenmore, the village outside the gates to the castle grounds, built by the earl to service his castle.  My 4 times great grandfather Donald Duff was born here and grew up to work for the earl as forester in his Blackmount Deer Forest which we walked through on the West Highland Way. 

The landscape in this area really is beautiful.

The view north from Kilchurn Castle.

 Loch Tay from Killin.

 Oak woods near Callander.

 Dochart Falls at Killin.

The Glen Ogle viaduct. We hired bikes and rode about 26km along the rail trail. 

A farm house at Balquidder, the area where my 4 times great grandmother, Mary McLaren was born. It is still the home of the Clan McLaren.

Comrie, the town where Mary's husband John McNab came from.

The entrance to the McNab burial ground on an island at Killin.

I had to get a key for the gate. McNab clan chiefs are buried here. My humble McNab ancestors would not have been allowed in here. 

 The path in to the burial area.

The bridge at Aberfeldy that my 6 times great grandfather, John Fletcher, a stone mason, built in 1733. Designed by William Adam for General Wade's military road and still being used today.

 At least three different squirrels use the feeder outside our bedroom window.

 Our internet is slow here, so it has taken a looong time to put this post together. Today we are going to the Killin Music Festival - bagpipes and traditional folk music. Tomorrow we head south to England.