Vacations In Scotland And A Selection Of Captivating Places to Visit Near Pitlochry
Vacations in Scotland are rather popular at the moment due, probably, to the strength of the $ against the pound making vacations to Scotland, Wales and England extremely good value, especially if visiting from from the USA. In the article below we examine 3 charming places to visit in Pitlochry, the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre, the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre and Blair Castle.
Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre
A power station is an extraordinary location for a tourist center, however this is exactly where you can find the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Center. The hydro center is found within the splendid Pitlochry Power Station, and features interactive displays describing the history of hydro power in Scotland, starting in the nineteen forties to the present day. The Pitlochry Dam(built nineteen forty seven to nineteen fifty one) offers visitors the interesting ability to watch the renowned salmon ladder via 3 viewing areas. Inside the visitor center, there are interactive and audio-visual presentations which explain this natural phenomenon. The turbine hall of Pitlochry Power Station can also be observed from inside the Visitor Center.
Blair Castle
Dating back to the 13th century is Blair Castle, which is the ancient seat of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl. The building of Blair Castle started in the year 1269, under the instruction of the Lord of Badenoch, John I Comyn, a close neighbor of the Earl of Atholl. The Earl was away, fighting in the Crusade’s, when John I Comyn began the construction of the castle on his land. As soon as the Earl returned home he bitterly complained to Alexander III, the king of Scotland about his neighbor, and won back his lands. Rather than demolishing the tower than John I Comyn had constructed, the Earl decided to merge the tower into his own castle. A Great Hall and a number of vaulted chambers were incorporated into the castle over the centuries, by various Earls. It was the second Duke of Atholl who, in 1740, decided to restore the castle as a Georgian Mansion.
Killiecrankie Visitor Centre
During the period of the Jacobites Killiecrankie, close to Pitlochry, was filled with the crys of battle. The government soldiers were soundly defeated by the rebel Jacobite army, under the the direction of Bonnie Dundee. During the bloodthirsty battle one of the soldiers evaded capture by leaping across the River Garry, which subsequently became known as, Soldier’s Leap. The area around the gorge and pass were a favorite place of Queen Victoria.
To find out about the infamous battle one can visit the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre. The Visitor Centre has a collection of otherexhibitions and services, which include; guided walks, a natural history of the area and ranger service’s as well as many others.
If you are interested in visiting Scotland based in Pitlochry then you will find Pitlochry hotels online by using the search “Pitlochry hotel accommodation” in your favorite search engine.
- Tags: accommodation, holidays, hotels, Pitlochry, Scotland, Scottish vacations, UK travel, Vacations