Pitlochry

Pitlochry grew from a small Highland village into a fully-fledged holiday town in the Victorian era, and it's kept that role ever since as the natural base for exploring the wider area.

The town owes much of its early popularity to Queen Victoria, who was reported to have praised the area's climate and scenery, and to the arrival of the railway in the 1860s, which put it within easy reach of the central belt. That combination gave Pitlochry its wide main street, its hotels and guest houses, and a steady flow of visitors that has continued ever since. Just south of the centre, the Pitlochry Dam and its hydro power station were built across the River Tummel in the 1940s to feed Loch Faskally, the loch that now sits alongside the town. Built into the dam is a fish ladder — a series of stepped pools designed to let salmon bypass the dam on their way upstream to spawn — with an underwater viewing chamber where visitors can watch fish passing through, particularly in the summer and autumn months.

What else the town is known for

Pitlochry Festival Theatre, on the southern edge of town overlooking Loch Faskally, stages a rotating repertory season and has been part of the town's identity since the mid-20th century. The town centre itself is compact and walkable, with the main street running the length of it, and Loch Faskally is ringed by an easy waterside path that's popular with visitors staying nearby. Pitlochry also sits at a natural crossing point of routes north and south, making it a practical base for day trips further into Highland Perthshire.

Where to Stay in Pitlochry

As a long-established holiday town, Pitlochry has a wide range of hotels, from Victorian townhouse hotels on the main street to larger properties on the edge of town overlooking Loch Faskally.

• 
  Atholl Palace Hotel — large Victorian hotel set in its own grounds above the town
• 
  Fisher's Hotel — long-standing hotel right on the main street
• 
  Fonab Castle Hotel — on the River Tummel, a short walk from the centre
• 
  The Green Park Hotel — family-run, on the shore of Loch Faskally
• 
  Scotland's Spa Hotel — in the town centre, with a spa and pool
• 
  Craigatin House & Courtyard — 5-star guest house on Atholl Road
• 
  Ardvane Bed & Breakfast — on Lower Oakfield, with garden and mountain views
• 
  Croft Na Coille — adults-only B&B on Toberargan Road
• 
  Arrandale House — small guest house with a perfect Google rating
• 
  Annslea Guest House — small guest house on Atholl Road
• 
  Buttonboss Lodge B&B — on Atholl Road, a short walk from the main street

Getting around

Pitlochry has its own railway station on the Highland Main Line, with services connecting south to Perth and Edinburgh or Glasgow, and north towards Aviemore and Inverness. The town also sits just off the A9, the main road running the length of Highland Perthshire, which makes onward travel to Blair Atholl, Loch Tummel or Aberfeldy straightforward by car.