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The lands and estate of Dalguise were given by William the Lyon to Dunkeld Church. In 1543 they were given by George Crichton, Bishop of Dunkeld, to John Steuart, second son of Sir John Steuart of Arntullie, who was himself the youngest natural son of King Robert II of Scotland by Marion de Cardny, sister of Robert, Bishop of Dunkeld. The Steuarts of Dalguise became linked with the Oliphants of Gask through the marriage of Charles Steuart, 9th Laird of Dalguise, and Amelia-Anne-Sophia, second daughter of Laurence Oliphant, 7th Laird of Gask. The Oliphants of Gask were strong supporters of the Jacobite cause. Laurence Oliphant, 6th Laird, was active in both 1715 and 1745, whilst Laurence Oliphant, 7th Laird, served as aide-de-camp to Prince Charles Edward Stuart in 1745. John Steuart, 10th Laird of Dalguise, succeeded to the estate on the death of his father in 1821. However, despite holding some 1750 acres in Perthshire, he was largely non-resident in Scotland, being one of the earliest settlers in Cape Colony, and High Sheriff of the Cape of Good Hope from 1829.
The mansion of Dalguise House, which was originally built in 1753, has had various uses over the years. It was here that the family of Beatrix Potter spent their summers between 1871 and 1881, and it is widely thought that she drew inspiration for some of her animal characters from her experiences at Dalguise. During World War I it was used as an army hospital. Since the 1960s it has been owned by the Scottish Association of Boys' Clubs, now Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Scotland, and was used as a training, conference and camping centre. Its principal use today is as an adventure and outdoor activities centre. |