Christmas traditions carried on today are an echo of the past

As Blair Castle gears up for a festive programme, castle archivist Jane Anderson has discovered how John, the 7th Duke of Atholl, helped to popularise Christmas as we know it today.

Under Duke John’s stewardship – he was born in 1840 and lived until 1917 – Blair Castle was transformed from a Georgian style mansion into a Victorian Baronial castle – embracing along the way the new Victorian Christmas introduced to Britain by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.

“He appears to have wanted Blair Castle to adopt a similar festive look that they had introduced to the nation,” said the archivist

“In those days Christmas Day was still a working day – it was the New Year that was the holiday, but Duke John introduced Christmas gifts for his staff and workers, and local schoolchildren who sang around the Christmas tree and also received gifts from the estate, handed out by Duchess Louisa and her daughters.”

Scott Robertson of Blair Castle felt Duke John would “truly approve” of how they will celebrate this year.

7th Duke of Atholl.