Pitlochry: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Pitlochry grew up as a Victorian holiday town once the railway came through, and it still lives from visitors. Everything on this walk is a short stroll apart: the station, the dam that made the loch, the theatre on the riverbank and a path into the woods. It ends at a distillery in a glen above town, about an hour and a half of walking in total. Wear shoes that can take a muddy path.
A short history of Pitlochry
Pitlochry was a small village in the heart of Perthshire until, in the mid-19th century, it became a resort. Queen Victoria visited the area in 1844 and praised it, and in 1863 the Highland Railway reached it, bringing many visitors who came for the mountain air and the spring water. A few kilometres north of the town, in the Pass of Killiecrankie, a battle was fought in 1689 in which the Jacobites defeated the government army. In 1951 a hydroelectric dam was completed on the River Tummel, with a fish ladder beside it up which salmon climb the river, and in the same year the Festival Theatre was founded in the town.
The ten best sights in Pitlochry
1Pitlochry Festival TheatreSeveral plays run in rotation through the summer, so two nights can mean two different shows
2Blair CastleWhite castle of the Dukes of Atholl, 11 km north; give it half a day with the grounds
3Edradour DistilleryA cluster of tiny whitewashed buildings in a glen; reachable on foot through Black Spout wood
4Blair Athol DistilleryOn the edge of town; the driver can skip the tasting and take a sample home
5Dunkeld CathedralHalf roofless, half still a parish church, on a lawn by the Tay; free to walk in
6Clan Donnachaidh CentreSmall museum of the Robertsons, next to House of Bruar — a stop on the way north
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7Pitlochry Dam and Salmon Ladder
Salmon run from spring to autumn; the visitor centre has a window into one of the pools
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8Explorers' Garden
Plants brought back by Scottish plant hunters, laid out by region; behind the theatre
9Loch FaskallyThe lake behind the dam; an easy loop path follows the shore
10Killiecrankie Visitor CentreStart of the gorge walk and the story of the 1689 battle; 5 km north
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Pitlochry →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Pitlochry:
Free walking tours in Pitlochry
The town on foot
Pitlochry grew up as a Victorian holiday town once the railway came through, and it still lives from visitors. Everything on this walk is a short stroll apart: the station, the dam that made the loch, the theatre on the riverbank and a path into the woods. It ends at a distillery in a glen above town, about an hour and a half of walking in total. Wear shoes that can take a muddy path.
- Pitlochry Station · The line from Perth reached Pitlochry in 1863, and the small farming village turned into a resort for city families who came for the Highland air. Queen Victoria's love of the area had already made it fashionable.
- Pitlochry Dam and Salmon Ladder · The dam was finished in 1951 as part of the Tummel hydro-electric scheme, and Loch Faskally did not exist before it: the valley was flooded to make it. So that salmon could still reach their spawning grounds upstream, a ladder of pools was built beside the wall.
- Pitlochry Festival Theatre · It opened in 1951 in a tent, the dream of a Glasgow businessman, John Stewart, who wanted a 'theatre in the hills'. The company played under canvas for three decades before moving to this building by the river in 1981.
- Explorers' Garden · It honours the Scottish plant hunters who brought trees and flowers home from across the world. One of them, David Douglas from nearby Perthshire, gave his name to the Douglas fir that now fills Scottish forests.
- Black Spout · The Edradour Burn drops in one long fall through a cleft in the rock, best seen from the wooden viewing platform opposite. It is the same stream that, a mile further up, supplies the water for the distillery at the end of this walk.
- Edradour Distillery · Licensed in 1825, it was for a long time marketed as the smallest distillery in Scotland, run by a handful of people. The stills are so small they would barely be allowed today, which is part of why the whisky is made in such small batches.
1689 and the Dukes of Atholl
North of town the road squeezes through the Pass of Killiecrankie, the gateway between Lowland and Highland Scotland. In July 1689 the first Jacobite rising won its great victory here and lost its leader in the same hour. Beyond the pass sit the castle of the Dukes of Atholl and the Robertson clan's lands. Drive the A9 north and stop along it; half a day, with good walking shoes for the gorge.
- Killiecrankie Visitor Centre · On 27 July 1689 Highlanders under Viscount Dundee charged downhill and routed a government army under General Hugh Mackay in minutes. Dundee was shot in the battle and died, and without him the rising fell apart within weeks.
- Soldier's Leap · Fleeing the battle, a government soldier named Donald MacBean is said to have jumped across the River Garry here, a gap of about 18 feet, to escape the Highlanders behind him. Stand on the rock and judge it yourself.
- Blair Castle · Queen Victoria stayed here in 1844, and the next year she presented colours to the Duke's bodyguard, the Atholl Highlanders. It is often described as the only legal private army in Europe, and it still parades at the castle each spring.
- Falls of Bruar · When Robert Burns came here in 1787 the gorge was bare, and he wrote a poem in the voice of the stream begging the Duke of Atholl to plant trees. The Duke did, and the pine woods you walk through are the answer.
- Clan Donnachaidh Centre · Clan Donnachaidh is the Gaelic name of the Robertsons, who held land in Atholl for centuries and turned out for the Jacobite cause. The museum keeps clan relics and helps visitors with Robertson, Reid or Duncan surnames trace a link.
- House of Bruar · It opened in 1995 as a roadside shop on the A9 and grew into one of the largest country clothing stores in Scotland. The food hall is the easy place for Scottish smoked salmon and shortbread to take on.
Victoria, Burns and Macbeth
Around Pitlochry the landscape has been written about for two hundred years, by a queen, a poet and, long before them, Shakespeare. This drive makes a loop west to Loch Tummel and Aberfeldy and back down the Tay to Dunkeld. Each stop has a short walk attached. Allow a full day; the roads are narrow, and lunch is easiest in Aberfeldy or Dunkeld.
- Queen's View · Queen Victoria came here in 1866 and the name has stuck to her, though some locals say it is older and honours Isabella, wife of Robert the Bruce. On a clear day the cone of Schiehallion closes the view at the end of the loch.
- Birks of Aberfeldy · Robert Burns walked this gorge in 1787 and wrote 'The Birks of Aberfeldy', a song still sung in Scotland; 'birks' is Scots for birch trees. A statue of the poet sits on a bench near the start of the path.
- Wade's Bridge · General George Wade built it over the Tay in 1733, designed by the architect William Adam, as part of a network of military roads to control the Highlands after the Jacobite risings. It still carries traffic today.
- The Hermitage · Ossian's Hall was built in 1757 as a garden folly for the Atholl family, and a later version had mirrored walls that multiplied the waterfall below. It was named for Ossian, a Gaelic bard whose 'translated' poems were a sensation of the time.
- Birnam Oak · In Macbeth the witches promise he is safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane, and this old oak by the Tay is said to be the last tree left of that wood. Its heavy lower branches are now propped on crutches.
- Dunkeld Cathedral · Three weeks after Killiecrankie, in August 1689, the Jacobites attacked Dunkeld and the defenders burned much of the town to hold them off. Inside the choir lies the tomb of Alexander Stewart, the 'Wolf of Badenoch', who burned Elgin Cathedral in 1390.
Getting to Pitlochry and getting around
- Pitlochry Station · On the Highland line between Perth and Inverness; the platform is two minutes from the main street
- Atholl Road bus stop (Fishers Hotel) · Local and long-distance buses stop along the main street; check the direction on the timetable
Cheap eats in Pitlochry
Highland Perthshire eats simply: soup and a sandwich at lunch, fish and chips in the evening, and a scone with tea in between. Pitlochry's main street is lined with tearooms and takeaways used to coach parties, so a quick meal is never hard to find. Out of town the choice drops fast, and cafés close by five, so lunch is worth sorting before you drive off.
- McKays Fish and Chips · Fish supper to take away, about £10-12
- Hettie's Tearoom · Tea, scones and light lunches on the main street, about £5-10
- The Bakery · Pies and rolls for the road, about £2-5
- Salmon Leap café · At the dam visitor centre, soup and a view of the water, about £6-9
- The Pancake Place · Sweet and savoury pancakes, easy with children, about £6-10
- Greggs · The cheapest hot sausage roll and coffee in town, about £2-4
Museums in Pitlochry
- Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre · Free; exhibition, café and the walkway over the dam
- Blair Castle · Thirty rooms, arms, and the Atholl family portraits
- Clan Donnachaidh Centre · Small clan museum; half an hour is enough
- Blair Athol Distillery · Tours through the day; book in summer
- Killiecrankie Visitor Centre · The battle of 1689 explained, before walking the gorge
Nature and day trips near Pitlochry
- Black Spout Wood · Oak wood and waterfall on the edge of town
- Ben Vrackie · Half a day; boots and a waterproof
- Loch Faskally · Flat shore path around the reservoir
- Birks of Aberfeldy · Gorge, birches and a top waterfall; about 90 minutes
- The Hermitage · Forest and falls near Dunkeld; arrive early
Things to do in Pitlochry with kids
- Pitlochry Boating Station · Rowing boats on the loch and a café on the jetty
- Pitlochry Dam and Salmon Ladder · Children watch for leaping salmon in late summer
- Highland Safaris · Land Rover tours to see red deer; book ahead
- Birnam Arts · Beatrix Potter garden and exhibition near Dunkeld
- Faskally Wood · Easy forest paths; in autumn a light show runs here at night
Where to eat in Pitlochry
- Moulin Inn · An inn from 1695 that brews its own ale; a short drive up the hill
- The Old Mill Inn · Pub food in a former mill in the centre
- Port-na-Craig Inn · On the river below the theatre; dinner before a show
- Fern Cottage · Mediterranean-leaning menu in a stone cottage
- Victoria's Restaurant · Family restaurant with a garden on the main street
- Prince of India · Curry by the station when the pubs are full
Frequently asked questions about Pitlochry
What is there to see in Pitlochry?
The top sights in Pitlochry are Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Blair Castle and Edradour Distillery. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Pitlochry?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Pitlochry without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Pitlochry?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Pitlochry, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The town on foot.
How do you get to Pitlochry and get around?
The main ways are Pitlochry Station and Atholl Road bus stop (Fishers Hotel). Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Pitlochry, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Pitlochry that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Pitlochry for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.