Blair Castle

In the more peaceful times that followed, the zud Duke remodelled the castle in the style of a Georgian house. It is difficult to visualise the castle as it would be at the time when Edward III stayed there in 1336. Two hundred years later, when Mary, Queen of Scots was entertained to a hunt at which 360 red deer and 5 wolves were killed, considerable changes had taken place and the building had been extended southward from Cumming's tower. The great hall range connecting the two towers was built by the 3rd Earl. This block is less obvious from the north front than the west (plate 1) where it is revealed by the three rows of sash windows. These windows are a legacy of the remodelling carried out by the zud Duke after the '45, when the castellations and corner turrets gave way to low-pitched roofs and chimney stacks. The south end, which was in a ruinous condition, was rebuilt and Cumming's tower was lowered.