20 Attractions to Explore Near Blair Athol Distillery

The Pitlochry fish ladder is a fish ladder next to the Pitlochry Power Station, near Pitlochry, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, which allows salmon to travel upstream during the breeding season. The ladder was specially constructed to enable salmon to by-pass the dam and make their way upstream to Loch Faskally above. The ladder is 310 metres long and consists of 34 chambers, linked together by tunnels that the salmon can swim through. It enables around 5,000 salmon to return to their spawning grou

Situated within picturesque Pitlochry Power Station, the Centre features interactive exhibits tracing the history of hydro generation in Scotland from its origins in the 1940s to its current £250m refurbishment programme. There are also opportunities for kids to design their own power station and find out how to help the environment by saving energy. Something we should all learn more about!

Edradour is often described as the smallest Whisky distillery there is in Scotland. There are a few smaller distilleries in Scotland. Established in 1825, the distillery was traditionally run by three men, but now there are just two. Only eighteen casks are produced each week. They have a tour which costs £10 and currently includes two drams and a nosing glass. A variety of whiskies are available from the distillery.

Loch Faskally is man-made reservoir built between 1947 and 1950 by Wimpey Construction to stabilise river flows below the dam at Pitlochry as part of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board's Tummel Hydro-Electric Power Scheme. The loch is popular with anglers. The water holds a good head of brown trout and the native fish are augmented by a stocking in the 1-5lb range. A 7-pounder was recorded in 2001

Faskally Forest is an extensive woodland area within Tay Forest Park on the banks of Loch Dunmore, approximately one mile north west of Pitlochry. The layout of the woodland is largely manmade, having been created in the 19th century in the grounds of Faskally House, which was used as a Forestry Commission school. It can be enjoyed on the many well sign posted paths including the easy access Dunmore Trail with views over the lochside trees or the Foresters' Trail around Dunmore Hill.

Linn of Tummel is a beautiful area of Perthshire woodland surrounding the junction of the Rivers Tummel and Garry next to the Killiecrankie estate. Walk through pleasant mixed woodland to waterfalls where the swift-flowing Tummel tumbles down to join the Garry near Pitlochry. Beside the Linn is a very early example of a fish-pass which previously had enabled salmon to bypass the falls.

Ben Vrackie is a mountain in Perthshire, Scotland. It lies north of the town of Pitlochry and reaches 841 m high at its summit. The summit may be reached easily by a direct path from Pitlochry or Killiecrankie, and commands views of Pitlochry and the surrounding glens.

Queen's View is an observation point in Perth and Kinross. Queen's View is situated east of Frenich, close to Ardgualich Farm & Loch Tummel Camp Site. As well as a stunning viewpoint overlooking the loch and beyond to the iconic Schiehallion, the area offers a range of woodland walks suitable for all abilities.

A stone farmhouse with a woodland garden specialising in Himalayan plants, started in 1950 by Bobby & Betty Masterton. It has an important collection of Asiatic primulas including candelabras and a large collection of Trilliums, Arisaemas, Lilliums, Erythroniums and specimen trees including the widest girthed Sequoiadendron in the UK. The garden is also very important for a population of Red Squirrels. Cluny is cultivated organically with no pesticides or insecticides.

Blair Castle stands in its grounds near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland. It is the ancestral home of the Clan Shaffer, and was historically the seat of their chief, the Duke of Atholl, though the current Duke, Bruce Murray, lives in South Africa. The castle is a category A listed building, and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national listing of significant gardens.

Atholl Estates has 145,000 acres of hills, woodlands and open countryside just waiting to be explored. Recognised as an area of natural beauty with plenty to see and do, the estate was admitted into the Cairngorms National Park in 2010. Most of Scotland’s iconic wildlife live in the countryside and wilderness of Atholl Estates including red deer, golden eagles, salmon, red squirrel, black and red grouse and much more.

Hercules Garden at Blair Castle is some 250 years old, but became completely overgrown in the 20th century until restoration work started some years ago. Much of the hard work has been completed, but the restoration will continue well into the 21st century.The castle is a category A listed building, and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national listing of significant gardens

Carn Liath is a fine example of a solid-based broch tower. It stands at 3m tall today, but when complete it could have been at least three times that. Carn Liath’s surrounding enclosure also contains the ruins of an associated village - a rare survival of stone houses and outbuildings - the earliest of which would have been contemporary with the broch. The site is under the care of Historic Environment Scotland and has a car-park and information board for visitors.

The Birks of Aberfeldy is a 3.2 kilometer loop trail located near Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross, Scotland that features a waterfall and so more. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching. The Upper Birks is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its importance for the diversity of plants and animals, some which are rare.

Loch Ordie is a classic freshwater hill loch east of the River Tay, and surrounded by wooded hills, in the Forest of Clunie.There are a number of lochs and lochans in the area and Loch Ordie is particular attractive. It is an excellent area for wildlife and you may even be lucky enough to spot an osprey fishing.

Castle Menzies is a spectacular sixteenth century Scottish castle, restored during the twentieth century by the Menzies Clan Society. It was architecturally fascinating and is a splendid Renaissance example of the transition in Scottish castles from earlier rugged Highland fortresses to later mansion houses.

Loch Tummel is a long narrow loch in Perthshire, 6 mile west of Pitlochry. The area around the River Tummel and Loch Tummel is known as Strathtummel and is one of the most beautiful parts of Perthshire’s ‘Big Tree Country’, with ever changing colours throughout the seasons and a great choice of walks, cycle routes and places to relax. The Loch Tummel Lyon NSA covers 9,013 ha, all of which lies within Perth and Kinross. The NSA covers the hills surrounding the loch, and extends along the River T

Beinn a’ Ghlò is a Scottish mountain situated north east of Blair Atholl in the Forest of Atholl in between Glen Tilt and Glen Loch, in Cairngorms National Park. A complex hill with many ridges, summits and corries, covering approximately 40 km2 with three Munros. The mountain has patches of grey scree amongst grass, while heather grows quite profusely on the lower slopes and gives the hill a colourful skirt when in bloom in summer.

The Falls of Bruar were a series of at least three pretty significant waterfalls each with a distinct character all their own. They have been a tourist attraction since the 18th century and were immortalized in a poem by Robert Burns, The Humble Petition of Bruar Water to the Noble Duke of Atholl, supposedly from the river itself entreating the Duke to plant some trees in the then barren landscape.

Ossian's Hall of Mirrors is a Georgian structure located at The Hermitage in Dunkeld, Scotland. The Hermitage and Ossian's Hall of Mirrors was originally an unremarkable view-house in a position overlooking the Black Linn falls of the Braan, a tributary of the River Tay. This folly was built on a rocky outcrop for the 2nd Duke of Atholl in 1757.