Pitlochry, in the Tummel valley, is the geographical center of Scotland. It is noted for its high quality woolen products and is also popular as a summer resort. Between May and October the "Theatre in the Hills" (modernized in 1981) is the venue for a successful drama festival and in September the Highland Games are held here. While enjoying a haggis or other traditional Scottish delicacy, kilted spectators watch the competitors tossing the caber, throwing the hammer and playing the bagpipe. The town itself can boast an 18-hole golf course, while further north in Blair Atholl is a nine-hole course.
A striking monument, Blair Castle reflects elements of Medieval and Renaissance architecture. The Castle displays possessions once belonging to the Royals.
Return to the A9 from Loch Rannoch and follow the road north through the Pass of Killiecrankie. In 1689 this breathtakingly beautiful gorge was the scene of a severe rout of the English army at the hands of the Highlanders under the generalship of the Viscount of Dundee.
Address: Killiecrankie Visitor Center, NTS Visitor Center, Killiecrankie PH16 5LG, Scotland
Hours:
April 1 to November 1: 10am-5:30pm
Always closed on: Easter - Christian, Good Friday - Christian, Easter Monday - Christian
Tips: Hours apply only to the Visitor Centre, site is open all year.
Parking: Free
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities: Gift shop, Restaurant or food service
Transit: Bus: Elizabeth Yule service from Pitlochry.
Some 20mi/32km to the west of Loch Tummel the black/brown, treeless cone of Schiehallion rises 3,950ft/1,200m into the sky. A climb to the summit will take about three hours.
The tiny mill (1613) in Blair Atholl (pop. 500) continues to grind corn in the traditional way. The flour is for sale but it can first be sampled as a biscuit in the tearoom.
Address: Meal and Flour Mill, Ford Road, Blair Atholl PH18 5SH, Scotland
In the winter large numbers of skiing enthusiasts make for the Glenshee region (40mi/64km to the northeast of Pitlochry) and the slopes of the Cairngorms. Several ski-lifts give access to the ski runs and also the cross-country tracks.
A very popular attraction is the underwater observation room at Loch Faskally. Here it is possible to watch the thousands of salmon negotiating the ladder to reach their spawning grounds. The room was specially installed when a hydro-electric power station was built during the 1950s.
Parking: Free
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Loch Rannoch lies at the northern foot of Schiehallion. The sides of the lake were once inhabited by over 30 clans, including the MacDonalds, MacGregors, Menzies, Robertsons and Stewarts (about 2,500 people); now the lakeside supports barely 400 residents.
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Blair Castle
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Blair Atholl, Scotland
Loch Tay, Pitlochry
Dunkeld, Pitlochry
Glenshee - Skiing Centre, Pitlochry
Glenshee - Skiing Centre, Pitlochry
Loch Tay, Pitlochry
Dunkeld, Pitlochry
Loch Tummel / Linn of Tummel, Pitlochry
