Murthly (

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

''Mòrthlaich'') is a village in

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland and S ...

, Scotland. It lies on the south bank of the

River Tay The River Tay ( gd, Tatha, ; probably from the conjectured Brythonic ''Tausa'', possibly meaning 'silent one' or 'strong one' or, simply, 'flowing') is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in Great Britain. The Tay originates ...

, southeast of

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to t ...

, and north of

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

. Perth District Asylum, later known as

Murthly Hospital Murthly Hospital, previously known as Murthly Asylum, Perth District Asylum and Perth and District Mental Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Murthly, Perthshire which operated for 120 years. History The facility opened as Perthshire's distr ...

, was opened in the village on 1 April 1864 for 'pauper lunatics'. It was the second district asylum to be built in Scotland under the terms of the 1857 Lunacy (Scotland) Act. It closed in 1984 and was later demolished. The village has a

stone circle A stone circle is a ring of standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially in Britain, Ireland, and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being built from 3000 BC. The be ...

, in the former grounds of the hospital. The village formerly had a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

on the

Perth and Dunkeld Railway The Perth and Dunkeld Railway was a Scottish railway company. It was built from a junction with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway at Stanley, north of Perth, to a terminus at Birnam, on the south bank of the River Tay opposite Dunkeld. It w ...

, which closed in 1965.

History

Around 1770, the

Hermitage Bridge The Hermitage Bridge (russian: link=no, Эрмита́жный мост) is a bridge across the Winter Canal along Palace Embankment in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The bridge constitutes part of the Hermitage Museum, Hermitage and Winter Palace ensem ...

at the nearby Hermitage was built by order of

John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl KT, PC (6 May 1729 – 5 November 1774), known as John Murray until 1764, was a Scottish peer and Tory politician. Background He was born 6 May 1729. Murray was the eldest son of Lord George Murray, fifth son ...

, presumably to gain access across to some lands leased from Sir John Stewart of Murthly, as well as assisting with the views of the Black Linn and its falls. It has since become a major landscape feature and has been the subject of several paintings and sketches, including from

George Washington Wilson George Washington Wilson (7 February 1823 – 9 March 1893) was a pioneering Scottish photographer. In 1849, he began a career as a portrait miniaturist, switching to portrait photography in 1852. He received a contract to photograph ...

's visit around 1859.George_Washington_Wilson
_(1823–93),_The_Hermitage_Bridge,_River_Braan_c._1859.html" ;"title="George Washington Wilson">George Washington Wilson
(1823–93), The Hermitage Bridge, River Braan c. 1859">George Washington Wilson">George Washington Wilson
(1823–93), The Hermitage Bridge, River Braan c. 1859– Royal Collection Trust

Murthly Castle

Dating from the 15th century, Murthly Castle is west of the village centre. An ambitious 19th-century replacement castle,

Murthly House Murthly House, also known as New Murthly Castle, was a substantial mansion in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, designed by James Gillespie Graham and demolished in 1949–50. It was said to be unrivalled in its beauty. History The house was commiss ...

, was commissioned by the 6th baronet in 1827, with

James Gillespie Graham James Gillespie Graham (11 June 1776 – 11 March 1855) was a Scottish architect, prominent in the early 19th century. Life Graham was born in Dunblane on 11 June 1776. He was the son of Malcolm Gillespie, a solicitor. He was christened as J ...

as its architect. It was, however, never finished and was demolished in 1949, never having been wholly occupied. Within the castle grounds is the Chapel of St Anthony the Eremite, a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

A. W. N. Pugin Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

in 1846, attached to an earlier 16th-century chapel. Carving in the castle and the chapel was done by

Patric Park Patric Park (born 12 February 1811, Glasgow; died 16 August 1855, Warrington) was a Scottish sculptor. Life He was the son of Matthew Park, a mason from a long line of masons, in Glasgow. At age 14, he was apprenticed to Edinburgh mason John C ...

, then aged only 17.Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1881, Gunnis

References

External links

Murthly Castle
{{authority control Villages in Perth and Kinross