George Iain Murray, 10th Duke of Atholl, DL (19 June 1931 – 27 February 1996), known as ''Wee Iain'', was a Scottish peer and landowner. He was also Marquess and Earl of Atholl, Marquess and Earl of Tullibardine, and Earl of Strathtay and Strathardle.

Background and education

Murray was the only surviving child of Lieutenant-Colonel George Anthony Murray, who was killed in action in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and the Honourable Angela Pearson, daughter of Weetman Pearson, 2nd Viscount Cowdray. He was a great-grandson of Sir George Murray, a grandson of the Right Reverend George Murray, son of the Right Reverend Bishop Lord George Murray, second son of

John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl, Order of the Thistle, KT, Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC (6 May 1729 – 5 November 1774), known as John Murray until 1764, was a Scottish peer and Tory (political faction), Tory politician. Backgrou ...

, who was the eldest son of the Scottish Jacobite Lord George Murray. Through his American great-grandfather, Brigadier General Daniel M. Frost of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

, he was a descendant of the Winthrop family and a distant cousin to former Secretary of State

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

. The young Murray was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, before in 1957 succeeding James Stewart-Murray, 9th Duke of Atholl, his fourth cousin twice removed, as

Duke of Atholl Duke of Atholl, named after Atholl in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray. It was created by Queen Anne in 1703 for John Murray, 2nd Marquess of Atholl, with a special remainder to the heir male ...

. With a height of six feet, five inches, he was one of the tallest Scottish peers, leading to the whimsical name of "Wee Iain".

Public life

Atholl inherited an estate of approximately —although this was a decline from the in the 19th century, it was still a smaller decline than many other Scottish estates. Under his stewardship, the estate in and around

Blair Castle Blair Castle (in Scottish Gaelic: ''Caisteil Bhlàir'') stands in its grounds near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland. It is the ancestral home of the Clan Murray, and was historically the seat of their clan chief, chief, the ...

became a significant area for

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

and

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

, on which he was an acknowledged expert and spoke many times in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

, having been elected a

Scottish representative peer This is a list of representative peers elected from the Peerage of Scotland to sit in the House of Lords after the Acts of Union 1707 abolished the unicameral Parliament of Scotland, where all Scottish Peers had been entit ...

in 1958. In addition, he resurrected the Atholl Highlanders, the ceremonial private army of the dukedom composed of estate workers and family friends, as a tourist attraction. He was an active member of the

Conservative Monday Club The Conservative Monday Club (usually known as the Monday Club) was a British political pressure group, aligned with the Conservative Party, though no longer endorsed by it. It also had links to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Ulster Unio ...

.Copping, Robert, ''The Monday Club—Crisis and After'' May 1975, page 25, published by the Current Affairs Information Service, Ilford, Essex, (P/B). He also held several business appointments, notably as Chairman of BPM Holdings between 1972 and 1983 and of Westminster Press Group between 1974 and 1996 and as a director of

Pearson Longman Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publishing company founded in 1724 in London, England, which is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman brand is ...

between 1975 and 1983. In 1980 he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. It is bordered by Highland (council area), Highland and Aberdeenshire to the north, Angus, Scotland, Angus, Dundee, and F ...

Personal life

Atholl died unmarried in February 1996, aged 64, with the titles passing to his second cousin, once removed, John Murray, a

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n land surveyor. The day before the death of the 10th Duke, it was announced that he had given

and most of his estates to a charitable trust, thus effectively disinheriting his heir. The new duke had indicated he had little interest in leaving South Africa, and though he honoured the land of his origins, said: "I am a South African, not a Scotsman."

References

Sources

*
Obituary from ''The Independent'' 28 February 1996

External links

*
Pedigree of the 10th Duke of Atholl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atholl, Iain Murray, 10th Duke Of 1931 births 1996 deaths Nobility from Perth and Kinross Anglo-Scots 110 Scottish people of American descent Scottish representative peers Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford

Iain Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, which is derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponds to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. This name is a pop ...

Deputy lieutenants in Scotland 20th-century Scottish businesspeople Dukes of Rannoch Winthrop family