Pitlochry
and the local area

Welcome to Pitlochry, the heartland of Scotland, whether you’re visiting for a week or a few days you’ll find a range of activities and places of interest to fill every hour, all year round for all the family. For those who enjoy long walks, fishing or a round of golf, then you’ll discover everything you could possibly wish for, with stunning scenery and fantastic nature on our doorstep, Pitlochry has something for everyone. Or perhaps you’re after a romantic weekend with fine dining or a touch of speciality shopping, well, you’ll find that too.

Pitlochry
Wildlife

Pitlochry, in the heart of Highland Perthshire, is one of the best places from where to explore an abundance of Scottish wildlife. Right here in the garden of the Pine Trees Hotel, you have a good chance of spotting native red squirrels and occasionally a roe deer, which might have ventured down from the surrounding hills.

If you go a little further afield, there are places from where you can take a wildlife “safari” and you might be lucky enough to spot mountain hare, blackcock, grouse or even roaring stags during the autumn rut (mating season).

This part of Scotland is also known as “Big Tree Country” for the very good reason that there are hundreds of acres of forests, a large proportion of which were planted more than 150 years ago by various Dukes of Atholl. These swathes of larch, spruce, Noble and Douglas Fir and many other magnificent specimen trees look beautiful at any time of year and are home to a plethora of wild plants, fungi, birds and small mammals. In Diana’s Grove at Blair Castle (a 20 minute drive to the north of Pitlochry) you will find Europe’s second tallest tree, a Grand Fir, standing near 63 metres high, whilst a short trip in the other direction to The Hermitage, near Dunkeld, will reveal one of the UK’s tallest trees – a magnificent 59 metre high Douglas Fir. Highland Perthshire is one of the few places left in the UK where iconic birds of prey, such as the Golden Eagle and the Osprey can be found. Following extinction in Scotland by 1916, Osprey were reintroduced and, at the Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve near Dunkeld, have been breeding successfully since the late 1960s. Apart from being the mainstay of the osprey’s diet, fish are another feature of Highland Perthshire’s plentiful wildlife, with salmon and trout being the most popular for the many fishermen (and women) who visit the area each year.

The Queens View

On a clear day, you can see forever… well, nearly. From the viewing platform you will not only discover one of Scotland’s most outstanding beauty spots, you will also see Schiehallion’s peak, Rannoch Moor and as far west as the Glen Coe hills on a clear day. Perched up above Loch Tummel, this attraction boasts a very well-stocked book and gift shop, a visitor centre with an audio-visual show, as well as a recently-refurbished tea room serving irresistible home baking.

Located approximately 7 miles from Pitlochry, just off the old A9, the Queen’s View sits in amongst the wooded hills of the Tay Forest Park. There are many clear way-marked walking and cycling trails through nearby Allean Forest, and an abundance of wildlife to be seen – birds, flowers, butterflies and even a red squirrel if you are lucky. A path along the loch-shore affords a different viewpoint altogether, and it is worthwhile taking a cycling trip here – perhaps with a picnic.

There is some speculation as to which Queen the beauty spot has been named after. Some believe it was Queen Victoria who visited in 1866, but apparently it was named after Queen Isabella, the wife of 14th-century King Robert the Bruce, who rested here in the woods on her travels. A little distance along the road is a picnic area. Near this are some 17th & 18th-century ruins which having been unearthed, have been partially re-built and had turf roofs put on, affording visitors an idea of what life might have been like in earlier times. At the eastern end of the 11km long loch is Clunie Dam, one of many, which was built in the early 1950s as part of the Tummel Hydro-Electric Power Scheme.

There is plenty to see and do at and nearby the Queen’s View, and it is only a 10-minute drive from the Pine Trees Hotel.