The
2000 Blair Atholl Patrol Jamborette

Jamborette Activities
Blair Castle and the Atholl Experience

My job at the Jamborette, for the third time, was to lead tours through Blair Castle, on whose grounds we were camping. Blair Castle has the distinction of being the last castle in the British Isles to be besieged in war - the 1746 Jacobite uprising. The siege had its elements of high comedy - 9,000 shots fired without a single casualty, the surrender demand delivered by the barmaid from Blair Village, the brother of the Duke leading the besieging army, the red-hot cannonballs cooled in cauldrons of urine, and so on - it makes an interesting story. The castle abounds with fascinating history, going back to the 13th century when a stone tower was built by John Comyn on the lands of the Earl of Atholl. Comyn's Tower now forms part of the front portion of the Castle, and its eight-foot thick stone walls cause the Blue Bedroom to be noticeably cooler than the rooms around it. 

A model of the castle in the China Room	Castle Guide Callum on the Castle steps with a Scottish patrol
The Entrance Hall houses much of the Duke's Collection of arms.	The Portrait Staircase

One of the most popular activities at the Jamborette was the Atholl Experience, a challenge course run in the forest just outside the Target Field. The Experience Staff led the Scouts through a number of activities, ending with a cold dip in the Garry, which they certainly needed. 

Ed Barry and Pete Cowan	Jimmy and Chuck on the rope trail
The Knot Game	The Rope Course

Forth Valley - USA Patrol A.E. (After Experience)