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With so much to see and discover in Perthshire you need a good base from which to explore. Fortingall is ideally positioned for you to seek out the lost castles and gardens of Perthshire. Many are places of interest that are not on the main tourist routes and some are most certainly, well off the beaten track.

The following list of Lost Castles has been selected by the hotel for your enjoyment. In many instances there will be no obvious signs, but the list leads you to some very interesting and historical sites. Those in private ownership are marked.

  1. The Castle of Knock – ma – Har: seems to have entirely disappeared but the site is in the vicinity of the Castle of Gormack. Head for Blairgowrie then look for Gormack. See below.
  2. The Castle of Gormack: no remains are visible. The castle was a place of considerable strength around 1550 – owned by the But tar family. It is thought to have stood near to the site of the present farmhouse of West Gormack. Knock – ma – Har is said to have been close by.
  3. The Castle of Drumlochy: stood opposite Glasclune Castle – see below – on the east side of the ravine formed by a tributary of the River Lornty about 2 miles north west of Blairgowrie. The Herons of Drumlochy and the Blairs of Glasclune were constantly at feud. There are visible remains – no thanks to the Blairs who destroyed the castle by cannon – a new invention at the time.
  4. The Castle of Glasclune: on the west side of the ravine opposite Drumlochy. The Castle is in ruins.
  5. The Castle of Loch Blair: no trace left. The site is to be found about 1 mile south of Blairgowrie – near to the present Rosemount Mansion – a few majestic fir trees mark the spot. It is thought to have been 15th century and owned by the Coupar family. The castle was demolished during the 45 Rebellion.
  6. Lady Lindsay’s Castle: some remains to be found on a ledge near Crag Liach – the Eagle’s Crag – north west from Craighall. It is a hugely imposing location. The Lady Lindsay story is well worth a read.
  7. The Castle of Rattray: all traces have been lost. Originally stood on the Castle Hill – a large mound south east of Rattray which was excavated for sand. The castle was erected about 1170 by Alanus de Rattray and was a favourite of William the Lion. The Rattrays seem to have moved out around 1650 to a new fortress at Craighall.
  8. The Castle of Corb: faint traces are to found in the Forest of Alyth along with standing stones, stone circles and ancient cairns. Was thought to be a former Rattray seat.
  9. The Castle of Clunie: stood on a Castle Hill on the west side of Loch Clunie – it was a former summer hunting seat of King Kenneth MacAlpine (843 – 859). It was a most imposing stronghold – occupied in 1290 by Edward 1 and not to be confused with the castle standing on the island – a much more modest structure now privately owned. The Castle of Clunie was said to have been demolished and buried because of an outbreak of the plague.

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