Vacations In Scotland And 3 Enchanting Places to Visit Near Pitlochry
Scottish vacations are amazingly popular at the moment due, in part, to the strength of the $ against the UK pound making vacations to Scotland, Wales and England very cheap, especially if visiting from from the USA. In the article below we examine 3 brilliant places to visit in Pitlochry, the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre, Blair Castle and the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre.
Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre
A power station is an unusual place for a visitor center, however this is just where you can find the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Center. The center is situated within the resplendent Pitlochry Power Station, and includes interactive exhibits tracing the history of hydro power in Scotland, dating from the 1940′s right up to the present day. The Pitlochry Dam(built between 1947 & 1951) offers tourists the thrilling opportunity to observe the renowned salmon ladder via three observation areas. Inside the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre, you will find audio-visual presentations (interactive) explaining this naturally occurring phenomenon. The turbine hall of Pitlochry Hydro-Electric Power Station can also be seen from within the Visitor Center.
Blair Castle
Dating back to the 13th century is Blair Castle, which is the ancestral seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl. The building of Blair Castle commenced in the year 1269, under the supervision of the Lord of Badenoch (John I Comyn), a close acquaintance of the Earl of Atholl. The Earl was away from home, fighting in the Crusade’s, when John I Comyn began construction of his castle on his land. As soon as the Earl returned to Scotland he 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 erected, the Earl decided to incorporate the tower into his own castle. A Great Hall and a series of vaulted chambers were incorporated into the castle over the centuries, by different 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 Jacobite era Killiecrankie, near to Pitlochry, found itself full of the crys of battle. The government soldiers were soundly defeated by the Jacobites, under the guidance of Bonnie Dundee. During the bloody battle one of the escaping soldiers managed to leap over the River Garry, which subsequently became known as, Soldier’s Leap. The area about the gorge and pass were a popular place of Queen Victoria.
To discover facts concerning the infamous battle one should pay a visit to the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre. The Killiecrankie Visitor Centre has a number of otherexhibitions and services, which include; ranger service’s, guided walks and a natural history of the area and many more.
If you are interested in taking a vacation in Scotland based in Pitlochry then you can find Pitlochry hotels online by searching for “Pitlochry hotel accommodation” in your favorite search engine.
