Blair Atholl is a Perthshire village, dominated by Blair Castle, which for centuries was owned the Dukes of Atholl. The Duke is allowed to raise his own private army, the Atholl Highlanders, the only one in Europe. The Murrays (the family name) can be traced back as least as far as the 1513 Battle of Flodden.
The Dukedom was created in 1703 by the racing-loving Queen Anne, and prior to that the Earls of Atholl had lived at Blair Castle since its construction in the 1270s. Perhaps inevitably Oliver Cromwell and Bonnie Prince Charlie feature in its history.
Sometimes the village is referred to with just one l in its name. The famous Blair Athol Distillery single malt Scotch whisky was founded in 1798. A racehorse named Blair Athol (qv) won the Derby of 1864 on his debut.
The Duke of Atholl Challenge Cup began at Perth in September 1999, initially as a memorial to the 10th Duke, who died unmarried three years earlier having bequeathed the castle and most of his wealth to a charitable trust. The heir to the dukedom was born, lived and worked in South Africa, felt no kinship to Scotland, and was disinclined to take on the estate. The trust has kept the race going ever since. It opens the castle and its gardens to the public, making it just the place for a visit if you are staying up for Perth races.