Breadalbane

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

This edition is copyright © The Editors of the Gazetteer for Scotland, 2002-2022.

It has taken much time and money to make the six-volumes of Groome's text freely accessible. Please help us continue and develop by making a donation. If only one out of every ten people who view this page gave £5 or $10, the project would be self-sustaining. Sadly less than one in thirty-thousand contribute, so please give what you can.

Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry Arrow

Breadalbane, a district of NW Perthshire. Bounded N by Lochaber and Athole, S by Strathearn and Menteith, and W by Knapdale, Lorn, and Lochaber, it measures about 33 miles in length, and 31 in breadth. It is prevailingly mountainous, including great ranges of the Grampians; it is ribbed, from W to E, by Glenrannoch, Glenlyon, Glendochart, Upper Strathtay, and some minor glens; it contains Loch Rannoch, Loch Lyon, Loch Tay, and part of Loch Ericht; it culminates, on the N side of Loch Tay, in Ben Lawers; and, in its mountain regions, particularly on Ben Lawers, it is surpassingly rich in alpine flora. It gives the title of Earl (1677) in the peerage of Scotland, and of Baron (1873) in that of the United Kingdom, to a branch of the ancient family of Campbell; and it gave the title of Marquis to the fourth and fifth Earls. Sir John Campbell was created Earl of Caithness in 1677; but, in 1681, on that title being pronounced by parliament to be vested in George Sinclair, Campbell was made Earl of Breadalbane, with precedence according to the patent of his first earldom. John, the fourth Earl, was created Marquis of Breadalbane in 1831; but the marquisate became extinct at the death of the second Marquis in 1862. The Earl of Breadalbane's seats are Taymouth Castle, Glenfalloch, and Achmore House in Perthshire, Forest Lodge and Ardmaddy Castle in Argyllshire; and he is the third largest landowner in Scotland, holding 437,696 acres, or nearly as much as the three Lothians together. From 2 miles E of Taybridge in Perthshire his estate extends to Easdale in Argyllshire, measuring 100 miles in length by from 3 to 15 in breadth; and is interrupted only by the occurrence of three or four properties on one side of a valley or glen, the other side of which belongs to the Breadalbane estate. The Earl of Breadalbane, in 1793-94, raised two fencible regiments comprising 2300 men, of whom 1600 were obtained from the estate of Breadalbane alone. A presbytery of the Free church bears the name of Breadalbane; is in the synod of Perth and Stirling; and has churches at Aberfeldy, Ardeonaig, Fortingal, Glenlyon, Kenmore, Killin, Lawers, Logierait, Strathfillan, and Tummel-Bridge, and a mission station at Amulree, which together had 2228 members in 1880.

Athole and Breadalbane, a poor-law combination in the N of Perthshire, comprehending the parishes of Blair Athole, Caputh, Dowally, Dull, Little Dunkeld, Fortingall, Kenmore, Killin, Logierait, Moulin, and Weem. Pop. (1871) 19,412. Its poorhouse has accommodation for 60 inmates.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer

If you have found this information useful please consider making
a donation to help maintain and improve this resource. More info...

By using our site you agree to accept cookies, which help us serve you better