Out and About
“So much to see and do”
A combination of stunning scenery, and easy access by road and rail, have made Pitlochry a famous and popular tourist town since Victorian times.Pitlochry nestles on the banks of the River Tummel with the slopes of Ben Vrackie forming a background to the town. The Tummel was dammed in 1950 to create Loch Faskally which is popular for boating and fishing, and at the Dam itself there is a Fish Ladder where salmon use specially constructed pools to make their way up to the Loch. You can watch their progress through an observation window.
Above the river is Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Scotland’s famous “theatre in the hills”, where it is possible to see six different productions in the space of a week. Next to the theatre is the new Scottish Plant Collectors’ Garden where live performances are held during the summer.
Pitlochry is also home to two distilleries: the picturesque Bell’s Blair Athol Distillery situated in the town itself, and Edradour Distillery – the smallest distillery in Scotland. Distillery tours and a well stocked shop are a feature of both.
To the west along the “Road to the Isles” is the Queen’s View, one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Scotland, looking along the lochs of Tummel and Rannoch to Rannoch Moor and the hills of Glencoe beyond.
To the north is the Pass of Killiecrankie - the site of a famous Jacobite battle in 1689, with its visitor centre and many spectacular walks. Beyond Killiecrankie lies Blair Atholl, a lovely highland village and the setting for Blair Castle – the ancient seat of the Dukes of Atholl – an outstanding example of a private historic house. In August the Bowmore Blair Castle International Horse Trials are held in the Castle grounds.
Travelling East through the lovely valley of Strathardle you join the A93 north to Glenshee (a popular winter sports area), Braemar and Balmoral Castle on Royal Deeside.
South, on the River Tay, are Dunkeld and Birnam with narrow streets around the ruins of Dunkeld Cathedral, and lovely walks along the River Tay and in the woods beyond. Further south lies Perth, the beautiful capital city of Perthshire, which has a good range of independent shops.
