Fire in clock tower at the home of Blair Castle Horse Trials
The fire services were called to the home of Blair Castle International Horse Trials last night after fire broke out in the clock tower.
Assistant director of the Perthshire horse trials Hannah Wilkins said: “Flames were spotted rising from the clock tower at the South End of the castle at around 8.45pm where a chimney fire had broken out above the castle’s wood chip boiler.
“Thankfully the castle was empty at the time and the few residents were quickly evacuated.
“Fears that the fire would spread to the rest of the castle failed to materialise and fire fighters had fully extinguished the blaze by 10pm.”
The fire gutted the interior of the clock tower and its roof was completely destroyed by the flames.
The fire also meant a power cut to the castle offices.
Atholl Estates is currently in discussion with the emergency service teams and its insurers to repair the damage.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.