After the Battle of Dunkeld in August 1689, the victorious Government troops razed the town to the ground. When rebuilding of the town commenced the Duke of Atholl, delighted with his newly acquired view of the cathedral, decided this vista was not to be obscured by any new buildings and commenced a landscaping project of his grounds. Around 1730, the 2^nd Duke decided to landscape Stanley Hill, originally a natural hill that formed a backdrop to an earlier residence, with a terraced mound giving a fortified effect that was enhanced by the addition of cannons. An ice house was later carved into the north side of the hill to store ice for the estate.

Picture copyright Iain Lees and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.