We have accommodations for 3 nights in Pitlochry in late September and are wondering about day trips from this location. We are planning a day to tour Pitlochry and visit Blair Athol Castle and distillery. Are excursions for hire to take day trips from Pitlochry? Could we take local transportation? Is it best to rent a car? This is the end of our two weeks in Scotland which includes a several days in Edinburgh as well as a 6 day Rabbies tour to the Outer Hebrides & Isle of Skye. Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Lake District, England
5834 posts
Blair Atholl is served by train from Pitlochry but service is infrequent. Better is Elizabeth Yule's bus- she has a website.
The distillery is actually at the South end of Pitlochry so is walkable. Don't miss seeing the hydro electric scheme and dam at the back of Pitlochry village, 10 minutes walk.
Perth and Stirlng are both easily reachable by broadly hourly train, as is Inverness for Culloden and Clava- hourly connecting public bus.
You could even do Aviemore and either Cairngorm Mountain or the Strathspey steam railway.
Also on Elizabeth Yule you could go to Loch Tummel and Kinloch Rannoch- a very scenic run.
You dont NEED a car, preference is a different issue.
Posted by
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
1749 posts
I was in Pitlochry last month for three nights. One day I took the train to Dunkeld. I did a wonderful hike along the River Tay, but even if you're not into hiking, Dunkeld is a delightful town.
But the best hike I did in Scotland was right out of Pitlochry. It's a combination of two hikes, actually: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/salmon-ladder.shtml and https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/linn-of-tummel.shtml. The instructions on how to combine these two walks are clearly diescribed in those links.
With only two full days in Pitlochry, you don't necessarily need to take two separate day trips. Though there aren't a lot of sights to see in Pitlochry, it's a charming town to relax in. There's a putting green course, a theatre, and some excellent restaurants.
Posted by
3122 posts
I'm not sure if there are any day tours available, but Glamis Castle is within range of Pitlochry. I can highly recommend a visit there if you have any interest in the Queen Mother and her family. The grounds are spectacular (but we were there on a very rainy day so didn't explore much outdoors) and the cafeteria has very nice food. The castle itself has a guided tour.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you everyone for your helpful information and links to useful resources. We are looking forward to our trip to Scotland in September. Cheers!