Murray of Atholl Clan History

The first Earl of Atholl was created in 1629, and in 1703 the Murrays reached the pinnacle of the peerage when they were created Dukes of Atholl. The younger son of the 1st Duke of Atholl was the renowned Jacobite general, Lord George Murray. Historians commonly believe that if the Jacobite army had been under the sole command of Murray, then the ‘Old Pretender’ may well have gained the throne of Scotland. The Battle of Culloden was the last time the Highlanders of Atholl went to war but the ceremonial guard of the chiefs is still the only private army in the realm.

In 1736 the Murrays of Atholl extended their lands when the second Duke of Atholl inherited the sovereignty of the Isle of Man, and to this day the Atholl arms still display the trimacria, the symbol of the island.

In 1600 the Atholls gained even more honour when James VI granted the lands of Scone to the Murrays. At this location they built the magnificent Scone Palace, still the home of the Earls of Mansfield to this day.