History

King Kenneth III of Scotland

Kenneth III of Scotland

Cináed mac Duib anglicised as Kenneth III, and nicknamed An Donn, "the Chief" or "the Brown", was King of Scots from 997 to 1005. He was the son of Dub...

 was killed at the battle of Monzievaird

Monzievaird

Monzievaird is situated two miles west of Crieff in Highland Perthshire, Scotland.It was originally named Muithauard c.1200, Moneward 1203. The name is derived from the Gaelic magh + bard; Plain of the bards. ....

 in 1005.

On the north side of the loch are the remains of an old fortress called Castle Cluggy. This was the original home of the lairds of Ochtertyre

Ochtertyre

Ochtertyre is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland....

. The fortress was referred to as 'ancient' in a charter of 1467. It belonged to Red Comyn

John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch

John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch and Lord of Lochaber or John "the Red", also known simply as the Red Comyn was a Scottish nobleman who was an important figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence, and was Guardian of Scotland during the Second Interregnum 1296-1306...

, who was killed in 1306 by Robert the Bruce in the convent of the Minorites (Greyfriars Kirk) at Dumfries

Dumfries

Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...

. It is thought that Sir William Murray, 1st Baronet of Ochtertyre, last inhabited the castle in the middle of the 17th century.

About 80 yards to the west of the ruin is a small artificial island that served as a prison. At the west end of the loch is a large mound where plague victims were buried in the reign of Charles I

Charles I of England

Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...

.

Location

Loch Monzievaird is situated two miles west of Crieff

Crieff

Crieff is a market town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies on the A85 road between Perth and Crianlarich and also lies on the A822 between Greenloaning and Aberfeldy. The A822 joins onto the A823 which leads to Dunfermline....

 in Highland Perthshire, one of the most popular holiday destinations in Scotland. Aberfeldy, Dunkeld

Dunkeld

Dunkeld is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite side of the Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, on the...

, Perth

Perth, Scotland

Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...

 and Pitlochry

Pitlochry

Pitlochry , is a burgh in the council area of Perth and Kinross, Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. Its population according to the 2001 census was 2,564....

 are all within easy reach by car. St Andrews

St Andrews

St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....

, Dundee

Dundee

Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...

, Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 and Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

are only about an hour's drive away.