Diana’s Grove at Blair Castle
Atholl Estates
Blair Castle is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Atholl, known as the Planting Dukes in the 18th & 19th centuries. By 1830, the family had planted over 27 milllion trees around the glens and straths of the Atholl Estate.
Diana’s Grove, named after the Roman goddess of hunting, is a nationally important collection of exotic conifers notable as the home to many champion specimens and early introductions.
Originally laid out in 1737 by the 2nd Duke of Atholl as a more formal ‘wilderness’, it was the 7th Duke who created the outstanding collection of conifers between 1871 and 1895.
One of first ever plantings of larch (Larix deciduas) took place at this time, and four of these trees still exist. The grove, in common with the rest of the grounds, changed over time depending on prevailing fashions. This makes it an important site for the history of designed landscapes.
The current appearance of the grove owes much to the 7th Duke who carried out extensive replanting with conifers between 1871 and 1895.
After a great storm in 1893 a large section of the grove was freshly planted, but as a result the grove today presents probably the best ’big tree’ experience in the country.
Most trees were planted over 100 years ago as specimens of newly introduced conifers, mainly from America. Recent measurements show more than 20 trees topping 46 metres/ 150 ft, with several British record breakers among them.
The tallest trees in the grove are both grand firs Abies grandis which stand at over 63.5m/ 208ft. Their nearest rival is a Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) at 59m/ 194ft and other notable individual trees include:
- first Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi)
- first hybrid Japanese/ European larch
- tallest Japanese larch, red fir (Abies magnifica), and white fir (Abies concolor) in UK
Wander or cycle through some of these forests, making the most of the estate’s 30 miles/ 48 km of way marked trails and 40 miles/ 65 km of cycle routes.
Blair Castle & Diana’s Grove open daily spring to autumn. Admission charge.
Easy and moderate-going walks from 0.75 mile / 1 km to 10 miles / 16 km.
Location
By Blair Atholl, 7 miles / 11 km north of Pitlochry, clearly signposted east off the A9.
Public transport & other facilities
Take the bus or train to Blair Atholl from Pitlochry.
Car parking provision for the Castle is clearly signposted from the gate entrance and provides for coaches and disabled bays.
Toilets and refreshments are provided at the Castle and can also be found in nearby Blair Atholl.
