Murthly Castle

Murthly Castle, Perth And Kinross Photo © Russel Wills, 20 July 2005

Murthly Castle, Perth And Kinross Photo © Raymond Chisholm, 3 May 2007

Murthly Estate lies in the historic heart of Perthshire in Scotland, just a few miles from Dunkeld. A traditional working estate, it is sheltered on the west side by Birnam Hill and overlooks the mighty River Tay.The Castle dates from the 14th century, it started off as a Royal Hunting Lodge and has been added to over the centuries. It is a private home which has been in the same family since 1615.

--MURTHLY CASTLE, Perthshire.

A fine old building of the Courtyard Plan, situated on the level ground near the Tay, about four and a half miles below Dunkeld.

The original castle seems to have been a small keep at the south-west angle of the courtyard, with an apartment on each floor, about 14 feet square, and a staircase in a slightly projecting turret at the south-east corner.

The structure has at different times been very largely added to, and extended into three sides of a courtyard. The oldest addition, with its angle turret, has the appearance of belonging to the sixteenth century, but possibly some of the walls may be older. The great extensions were probably erected after Murthly came into the possession of the Stuarts, Barons of Grantully, in 1615. Numerous carved window pediments of seventeenth century work have been built into the walls of the more recent erections.

The central portion is evidently a later addition, containing an entrance door, hall, &c. These are now on the first floor, and the entrance door is at the top of a double flight of exterior stairs. The whole series of erections form a striking and picturesque pile.

THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND BY DAVID MACGIBBON AND THOMAS ROSS, 1889