Scottish Vacations And A Selection Of Interesting Visitor Attractions to Visit Near Pitlochry

Scottish vacations are amazingly popular at the moment due, most likely, to the strength of the US dollar against the £ making vacations to the United Kingdom great value, especially if visiting from the US. In the following article we introduce three worthy places to visit in Pitlochry, the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre, the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre and Blair Castle.

Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre

A power station is an extraordinary site for a visitor attraction, but this is just where you will discover the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Center. The center is located within the resplendent Pitlochry Power Station, and includes interactive displays describing the development of hydro power in Scotland, from the 1940's to the present day. The Pitlochry Dam, which was built between nineteen forty seven and nineteen fifty one, gives visitors the thrilling opportunity to watch the amazing salmon ladder via three viewing areas. Once inside the visitor center, there are interactive and audio-visual presentations explaining in detail this naturally occurring spectacle. The turbine hall of Pitlochry Hydro-Electric Power Station can also be seen from within the Visitor Center.

Blair Castle

Blair Castle can be dated as far back as the thirteenth century and is the ancestral seat of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl. The construction of Blair Castle started in 1269, under the command of the Lord of Badenoch (John I Comyn), a northern acquaintance of the Earl of Atholl. The Earl was absent, fighting in the Crusade's, when his neighbor began to build of his castle on his land. Upon his return, the Earl complained bitterly to the king of Scotland, Alexander III about the interloper, and his lands were returned. Rather than pulling down the tower than John I Comyn had constructed, the Earl decided to amalgamate 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 redesign the castle as a Georgian Mansion.

Killiecrankie Visitor Centre

During the Jacobite era Killiecrankie, close to Pitlochry, was filled with the crys of battle. The government soldiers were overwhelmed by the Jacobites, under the control of Bonnie Dundee. During the bloody battle one of the escaping soldiers managed to leap across the River Garry, which gained the name, Soldier's Leap. The area of the gorge and pass were a favorite place of Queen Victoria.

To find out concerning the infamous battle you can pay a visit to the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre. The center has a number of otherexhibitions and services, which include; guided walks, ranger service's and a natural history of the area, amongst others.

If you are considering having a Scottish vacation based in Pitlochry then you will discover Pitlochry hotels online by using the search "Pitlochry hotel accommodation" in your favorite search engine.