The last of the earls of Atholl of the Royal Celtic line died before 1211 and the earldom was passed through the female line to David of Strathbogie whose family forfeited the title following its opposition to
Robert the Bruce (1274 - 1329). After being held by
King Robert II (1316-90) and his son Walter, the earldom was given in 1457 to
King James II's maternal half-brother, John Stewart of Balvenie. The title eventually passed to the
Murrays of
Tullibardine by marriage in 1629.
For his support of the Royalist cause during the Civil War, the 5th Earl was created Marquis of Atholl and in 1702 his son was created first Duke of Atholl by Queen Anne for his loyalty to the government against the Jacobites. The celebrated fiddler Neil Gow (1727 - 1807) was musician to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Dukes of Atholl.
