Blair Castle was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Atholl and the residence of the Duke of Atholl until the death of the last member of the line in 1996. A large part of the tower built in 1269 is intact and the castle with its turrets, crenallations and parapets, continues to dominate a strategic route into the heart of the Highlands. The Duke of Atholl is the only British citizen to have a private army, the Atholl Highlanders, the sole survivor of the clan system.