Tour
Grandtully In Highland Perthshire
There
are a large number of estates along this stretch of Tay,
some of them ancient, such as Ballechin, Pitnacree, Pitcastle,
Derculich--which has its own quite large loch, high amongst
the braes to the north--and Edradynate.
Opposite on the south bank are the villages of Balnagard,
Grandtully and Little Ballinluig--not to be confused with
the better-known Ballinluig Station on the main A.9 highway
5 miles to the east--all attractively situated. At Ballinluig
is situated the house that was the famous Daniel Stewart's
first Free School. Grandtully is especially interesting,
with both a splendid castle and a unique ancient church.
Grandtully Castle lies, quite easily seen from the road,
to the west, in a fine wooded estate, a tall and shapely
tower-house of the later s 6th century, but with a much
older nucleus and later additions. It is a seat of the Steuart-Fothringham
family, the Stewarts having been here since the late 4th
century, descending from Alexander 4th High Steward of Scotland.
In 1626 Sir William Stewart, Sheriff of Perth, made various
alterations, especially to the picturesque turreted roof-line.
Occupying a strategic position, Grandtully was much in demand
as a headquarters for commanders, Montrose, General Mackay,
Argyll, Mar (of the '15) and Prince Charles Edward all using
it. An officer of Mackay's is said to have been shot dead
in one of the angle-turrets, the blood allegedly permanently
staining the floor. More recently, the famous Admiral Earl
Beatty was tenant here; and another shooting-tenant, the
Maharajah Duleep Singh, distinguished himself one August
Twelfth by personally shooting no fewer than 220 brace of
grouse in one day.
The former ancient church of St. Mary is less well known
than it deserves to be. Set rather remotely on higher ground
half a mile south-west of the castle, it has a wonderfully
scenic position with glorious views. No longer used as a
place of worship, it is now in the care of the Ministry
of Works. Like Weem and others, it is divided into two separate
portions. It was endowed by Sir Alexander Stewart of Grandtully
in 1533, and restored in 1636. Its main southern section
is most unusual in having a barrel-vaulted roof, lined with
timber, which is brilliantly painted in tempera, with renaissance
decoration, heraldic panels and portraits of the evangelists
and other Biblical subjects. It commemorates Sir William
Stewart who died 1646, and his wife Dame Agnes Moncreiff.
Included in the heraldry are the arms of 'the Duik of Lennox
and the Earle of Athiol', both Stewarts. This part is now
very ill-lit with one small window--though artificial light
is provided; but other windows in the west wall have been
built up. The door into the northern portion has had a lintel
inscribed s.w.s. D.A.M. 1636.
A stone circle and a standing-stone are to be found down
near the main road.
