Vacations In The Scottish Town Of Pitlochry And A Selection Of Excellent Visitor Attractions To Visit

Posted on | December 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Scottish vacations are rather popular at this time due, possibly, to the strength of the US dollar against the pound making vacations to England, Scotland and Wales extremely good value, especially if visiting from the US. In the following article we examine 3 superb places to visit in Pitlochry, Blair Castle, the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre and the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre.

Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre

A power station is a bizarre location for a tourist attraction, however this is exactly where you can find the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Center. The visitor center is located within the splendid Pitlochry Power Station, and includes interactive exhibits which describe the development of hydro power in Scotland, dating from the nineteen forties up until the present day. The Pitlochry Dam, which was constructed between 1947 and 1951, offers tourists the exciting ability to view the incredible salmon ladder through 3 observation chambers. Once inside the center, there are interactive and audio-visual presentations which explain this naturally occurring spectacle. The turbine hall of Pitlochry Power Station can also be seen from within the Visitor Center.

Blair Castle

Dating back to the 13th century, Blair Castle is the ancestral seat of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl. The building of Blair Castle commenced in 1269, under the supervision of John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, a northern acquaintance of the Earl of Atholl. The Earl was away from home, fighting in the Crusade’s, when John I Comyn began the construction of Blair Castle on his land. Upon his return, the Earl complained bitterly to King Alexander III of Scotland about the interloper, and his lands were returned. Rather than pulling down the tower than John I Comyn had built, the Earl decided to merge the tower into his own castle. A Great Hall and a series of vaulted chambers were incorporated into the castle over the centuries, by subsequent Earls. It was the second Duke of Atholl who, in 1740, decided to renovate the castle as a Georgian Mansion.

Killiecrankie Visitor Centre

During the time of the Jacobites Killiecrankie, not a great distance from Pitlochry, found itself filled with the noise of battle. The government soldiers were utterly destroyed by an army of Jacobite soldiers, under the control of Bonnie Dundee. During the bloodthirsty battle one of the soldiers evaded capture by jumping across the River Garry, which subsequently became known as, Soldier’s Leap. The area of the gorge and pass were a favorite place of Queen Victoria.

To discover concerning the infamous battle one can pay a visit to the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre. The center has a collection of otherexhibitions and services, which include; a natural history of the area, guided walks and ranger service’s and many more.

If you are considering taking a vacation in Scotland based in Pitlochry then you can find Pitlochry hotels online by by placing “Pitlochry hotel accommodation” in your favorite search engine.