•  Breadalbane, Perthshire

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In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Breadalbane like this:

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. ...

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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.

Breadalbane through time

Breadalbane is now part of Perth and Kinross district. Click here for graphs and data of how Perth and Kinross has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Breadalbane itself, go to Units and Statistics.

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