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The pretty town of Pitlochry, many times winner of Scotland in Bloom awards, and winner of Britian in Bloom 2003 in the Small Towns category, is a gentle stroll from the Hotel. See www.pitlochryinbloom.co.uk for examples of their stunning displays. The well kept Main Street is filled with small, independent shops with unique merchandise. Most of the privately owned Shops in Pitlochry are part of the Atholl Mercantile Association, and have a website at www.Pitlochry.org Events
Pitlochrys tradtional attractions include events such as the Highland Games day
and New Year street party. Pitlochry Highland Games is the last in the season,
while the Blair Atholl games is the first of the season taking place in May.
The Vale of Atholl pipe band also march down Atholl Road every monday night at 8.00pm from May to September, and perform a 'Highland Night ' show at the recreation ground. This year Pitlochry is hosting the 'Enchanted Forest' event, from the 21st October 2005 There are two distilleries, including the picturesque Edradour which is the smallest distillery in Scotland. History
Historical sites include nearby Blair Castle, seat of the Dukes of Atholl,
which is such a classic example of a Scottish castle that it can be seen in miniature at Legoland,
Windsor. Castle Menzies is a more raw and rugged building, suited to medieval fighting clans
with few modern comforts. The whole area is steeped in ancient history, such as the Pictish Dunfallandy stone,
the bronze age Crannog in Loch Tay, and countless stone circles. Pitlochrys History Circle is currently
working on a project to run a tram around its history trail, which includes the ruined 'Black Castle', abandoned
after a Plague, and to have a history bank to store archives from local families. Further details at
www.pitlochry.org.
Festival Theatre
Modern Attractions include Pitlochry's renowned Festival Theatre, details of its programme, which changes daily,
can be found at
www.pitlochry.org.uk ,
the theatres website. In 2003 the Theatre also opened its Plant collectors garden,
with spaces for open air performances. Also the Hydro -electric dam with its fish ladder which allows Salmon to return to
their birthplace to spawn
Walks
Pitlochry has walks to suit every walker with a choice of pasture or highland,
riverside, woodland and open moorland. For gentle strolls by rivers there is the historical Soldiers Leap
in Killiecrankie, or Loch Faskally forest walks in Pitlochry. Walks over hills include Craigower Hill,
behind the golf course, which rewards an up hill walk of an hour or so with spectacular views,
or a walk from Port-Na-craig, by the festival theatre, over a hillside filled with
ancient monuments such as a stone circle and burial mounds, to the neighbouring valley of Strathtay.
For the more energetic walker there is Ben-Y-Vrackie (2759ft) with views, on a clear day, up lochs Tummel and Rannoch to the islands off the West Coast. Local Munroes (mountains over 3500ft) include Ben Lawers and Schiehallion (meaning 'the Fairy Mountain' in Gaelic). It is known that, as you walk up Schiehallion on midsummers day, your shadow jumps from side to side. While this may have a rational scientific explanation, many believe it to be evidence of fairies playing with your shadow. For truely unique and exhilarating experiences from Quad biking to Hovercrafts, see www.blueskyexperiences.com and www.highlandadventuresafaris.co.uk |