Loch Dunmore

Loch Dunmore is a small loch in the Faskally woods just outside Pitlochry. It is an easy walk from town or there is a car park on site. Loch Dunmore can be quite a special spot at the right time of year with lilies on the loch and stunning colours on the rhododendrons on the banks. Unfortunately we keep taking photographs in winter! Full post here.

Loch Faskally and Pitlochry Boating Station

Loch Faskally is the loch in Pitlochry which was created by the damming of the River Tummel in the 1950s. There are a number of walks in the area of the loch including the longer loop taking in Loch Dunmore, the Garry Bridge, Killiecrankie and the Linn of Tummel.  Full post here.

Pitlochry dam and fishladder

The Pitlochry dam was constructed in the 1950’s as part of a massive expansion of the hydroelectric network of dams and power stations that now serves much of the Scottish Highlands. The network is impressive and the remote nature of some of the large power stations is barely believable. Full post here.

Falls of Bruar

The Falls of Bruar is another very accessible short walk that takes in some classic Highland Perthshire woodland and waterfall scenery. The walk up the steep hill behind the House of Bruar leads through lovely Atholl Estates woodland to a number of impressive cascading falls. See our full post here.

Glen Banvie and Bruar loop

Glen Banvie is the next glen west of Glen Tilt. Accessed from the same car park in Blair Atholl there is an excellent 17km loop up through Glen Banvie returning down past the the Falls of Bruar. See our full post here.

Inverness and Rocpool Restaurant

Inverness is the nearest city to the north of Pitlochry. An excellent little city providing great access to the far north and, more importanly, it is home to our favourite restuarant, Rocpool on the river. If you do visit Inverness, lunch in Rocpool is a must. If you get lucky with your table, you might even have a view of the castle. See our full blog post here.

Pitlochry Train Station

Many Knockendarroch guests arrive in Piltochry by train and we are very lucky that there is a rather lovely Victorian station on our doorstep. The footbridge and waiting rooms were recently refurbished and look as good as new. Full blog post here.

Linn of Tummel – leaping salmon

The Linn of Tummel is a series of pools and waterfalls at the junction of the River Tummel and the River Garry. This is a stunning spot with classic Perthshire scenery. Access is relatively easy on a 1km path from the Garry Bridge. Full post here.

Bridge over the River Garry

A couple of miles north of Pitlochry on the old road is a left hand turn that leads down to The Queens View and Lochs Tummel and Rannoch. Just as you turn the corner you cross the River Garry on a mighty impressive bridge. There is a car park on the other side of the bridge and it is work a quick stop to take in the views. Full post here.

Black Spout Waterfall

The Black Spout wood is a lovely oak woodland on the edge of Pitlochry. Easily accessed from near the rail bridge at the south end of town a path leads up the hill to the famous Black Spout Waterfall and shortly after the it emerges at Edradour Distillery. It is a short walk and a good route up to the distillery. Full post here.

Carn Liath – Beinn a Ghlo

Carn Liath is the lowest of the three munros in the Beinn a Ghlo range and is one of our favourite local hills. Sitting high above Blair Atholl it is seen clearly from the A9 as the hill rising above the iconic whitewashed walls of Blair Castle. The scar of the footpath up the South face can be seen for miles both up and down the A9. Full post here.

Ben Vrackie

Sitting almost on top of Pitlochry, Ben Vrackie is a lovely Corbett in the immediate vicinity of Knockendarroch and well worth the hike up. On a clear day the summit is a superb vantage point with views taking in the Cairngorms to the north, The Beinn a Ghlo range to the north-west and Schiehallion and Glencoe to the west in the distance. Full post here.

Braemar Castle

Not far outside Braemar is Braemar Castle. Built as a grand hunting lodge on the banks of the River Dee in 1628 by the Earl of Mar, the castle has been the seat of the Chiefs of Clan Farquarson since the 1800’s. Full post here.

Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle is close to Braemar in Royal Deeside and around a one hour drive from Pitlochry. The truly enormous Balmoral Estate boasts many munros and massive expanses of stunning ancient Caledonian Pine forest. At the heart of the estate and on the banks of the River Dee is Balmoral Castle itself. Full post here.

Enchanted Forest Pitlochry

The award winning Enchanted Forest is a spectacular sound and light show staged every October in Faskally Woods near Pitlochry. Each year the theme of the event changes and each year the show exceeds expectation.  Read out full Enchanted Forest post here.

The Highland Chocolatier

Legends of Grandtully is a cafe half way between Pitochry and Aberfeldy and it is the home of Iain Burnett, ‘The Highland Cholcolatier’. If you like chocolate this the cafe for you. 

Read the full post here.

The Birks of Aberfeldy

The Birks of Aberfeldy is the faerie glen of Highland Perthshire. A magical spot full of waterfalls and an incredible number of species of mosses, ferns, lichens and trees. So many species in fact, that it is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Birks were made famous in the 1780’s by Robert Burns who was inspired to write a song of the same name whist sitting on a natural stone bench half way up towards the top bridge.

Read the full post here.

Schiehallion

Schiehallion is one of Scotland’s most famous munros. Its iconic conical shape and its role in the invention of contour lines are what it is most famous for. Whilst no venture into the Scottish hills should be underestimated, this is a straightforward walk on a good path. The return trip .........

for the full post please click here.

Highland Safaris

Highland Safaris is located in Dull, down past Aberfeldy towards Glen Lyon. This place is fantastic and encompasses all sorts of fun, from feeding the red deer herd in the new Red Deer Centre, to gem panning, to drop-at-the-top cycle rides and private mountain safaris by landrover.
We have tried most of what is on offer at Highland Safaris and can highly recommend it all.

See our full Highland Safaris post here.

Highland Safaris, Perthshire | Luxury Hotel in Pitlochry
Knockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant

Loch Garten Ospreys

Loch Garten is located in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, just an hour or so up the road from Pitlochry. For decades, the RSPB have run an excellent Osprey Centre set up to give visitors and excellent view of an occupied osprey nest. As you can see in the above photo, the dead tree on which the birds nest has had to be repaired many times to stop it falling down.

Our full blog post here.

Birdwatching in Pitlochry | Luxury Scottish HotelKnockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant in Scotland

Short summer nights

Here’s a short time lapse video of the view west from the roof of Knockendarroch over 4 days in June. Cracking weather and very short nights – only 4 hours of darkness!  11,500 photos condensed into about 2 minutes.

Pitlochry views, Perthshire | Luxury Hotel in Pitlochry
Knockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant

 

Pitlochry Golf Course

Pitlochry Golf Club has a range of splendid facilities and boasts some of the best golf course views in Scotland. The par 69 course is 5700m long and will test all aspects of your game. The lower holes afford lovely views of Ben Vrackie and the clubhouse, while the upper holes have outstanding views across Pitlochry and Highland Perthshire.

More on our main blog here

House of Bruar

House of Bruar is a unique luxury shopping experience just 10 miles up the road from our hotel in Pitlochry. It is quite an usual place selling all that falls into the category of ‘country luxury’, from tweed and cashmere to fishing tackle, fine art, toys and interior furnishings. The food hall is stunning and seems to grow larger every time we visit.

See our full House of Bruar blog post here.

Ospreys in the Cairngorms

We are lucky in Highland Perthshire that we are within easy reach of both the RBPB osprey hide at Loch Garten and the Scottish Wildlife Trust osprey hide near Dunkeld. Both experiences are excellent and afford a easy look directly into occupied nests. However, there are a number of ‘secret’ osprey nests within easy reach of Pitlochry - read our full blog post here.

A day in the kitchen

We love a bit of time lapse video here at Knockendarroch and we thought it would be fun to make a time lapse video of a day in the restaurant kitchen. Images were taken every 5 seconds for over ten hours between 11am and about 9pm. That’s about 7200 photos. They were then condensed into a 2 minute video to give you a feel for what life in our kitchen looks like. It’s a small kitchen, but it’s definitely a busy one!

Pitlochry restaurant | Luxury Pitlochry Hotel
Knockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant

3 Pistes Cycle Sportive

The 3 Pistes Cycle Sportive is a relatively new time trial event running at the end of May each year and it looks a little bit brutal. Leaving from Pitlochry and finishing in Aviemore, the route takes cyclists 102 miles and 2690m of ascent through Highland Perthshire and the Cairngorms.
See our main blog post for more details.

Oyster catchers in Pitlochry

On a flat roof near to Knockendarroch Hotel we have been watching a pair of Oyster catchers set up a nest. They come back year after year to the same spot. Check out our main blog post for more details.

Birdwatching in Pitlochry | Luxury Scottish Hotel
Knockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant in Scotland

Loch of the Lowes – Dunkeld

Loch of the Lowes is a superb wildlife sanctuary just outside Dunkeld. There are some great facilities for birdwatching on the loch and for getting a good look at the osprey nest on the other side of the loch. However, we really enjoy just watching the wild birds through the large viewing window in the main visitors’ centre. 

In just ten minutes the other day we saw the shouty little yellowhammer pictured above, the woodpecker pictured below, siskins, coal tits, blue tits, chaffinches and a load of other species I couldn’t identify. It really is a great spot for some casual / lazy birdwatching. Dunkeld is just ten minutes down the road from Pitlochry.

Birdwatching near Pitlochry | Luxury Pitlochry Hotel
Knockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant

Ospreys at Loch of the Lowes

Loch of the Lowes is a Scottish Wildlife Trust bird sanctuary just outside Dunkeld, only a few miles down the road from Pitlochry. For a small entrance fee the public are able to gain access to two terrific wildlife hides with superb views of the Loch, and in particular, great views of a well established Osprey nest.

Check out our main blog for the full post

Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve also has a wonderful wild bird viewing window in the main building giving an excellent opportunity to see numerous species at close quarters.

Loch of the Lowes near Pitlochry | Luxury Pitlochry Hotel
Knockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant

Blair Castle near Pitlochry

A visit to Blair Castle and the wider Atholl Estates is definitely to be recommended. The Castle is the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl and enjoys one of Scotland’s finest settings in the heart of Highland Perthshire. You can tour over 30 rooms and extensive grounds. It’s quite a place.

Full post here.

Blair Castle near Pitlochry | Luxury Pitlochry Hotel
Knockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant

Blair Castle and the Atholl Highlanders’ Parade

The Atholl Gathering takes place on the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May every year and is a unique Highland tradition that has persisted at Blair Castle for generations. The two day Atholl Gathering weekend consists of The Atholl Highlanders’ Parade on the Saturday followed by the Highland Games on Sunday.

The Atholl Highlanders are the last remaining private army in Europe and were given the Queen’s Colours and official regimental status by Queen Victoria on her visit to Blair Castle in 1844.  Now a purely ceremonial regiment of around 100 men including the pipes and drums, they parade once a year during the Atholl Gathering where the Duke of Atholl inspects his troops. New recruits are sworn in during the ceremony and given their Clan Murray sprig of juniper for their bonnets. It’s quite a show and well worth seeing.

The Atholl Gathering Highland Games is one of the first in a long season of highland games around Perthshire and is definitely one of the best.

Blair Castle near Pitlochry | Luxury Pitlochry Hotel
Knockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant

The Atholl Gathering Highland Games

Every year on the second bank holiday in May, Blair Castle hosts the Atholl Gathering. This consists of the splendid Atholl Highlanders’ Parade on the Saturday and the Highland Games on the Sunday. The Atholl Highlanders officially open the Highland Games with a ‘March On’, led by the fantastic sound of their pipes and drums.

Following the March On, heavyweight strongmen from around Scotland take to the arena to compete in the Highland Games. These include traditional events such as tossing the caber, putting the shot and throwing the hammer. Highland Games date back many centuries, with most of the events tracing their roots back to ancient Scottish battle weapons and fighting techniques. Teams from around Scotland also compete in the Tug ‘o war and there are numerous open races which even the visitors can take part in.

See our full blog post here.

Blair Castle near Pitlochry | Luxury Pitlochry Hotel
Knockendarroch – Hotel & Restaurant

Pitlochry Etape Caledonia

Check out our main blog post on the Etape Caledonia here.

Etape Caledonia is an incredibly popular closed road bike race around some of the most spectacular scenery in Highland Perthshire. Over 5000 competitors take part in the event scheduled for early May each year. The Etape is a time trial event, starting and finishing in Pitlochry. The total distance is 121km and the route takes in some classic Highland Perthshire scenery and landmarks including Loch Tummel and Loch Rannoch, Schiehallion, Fortingal, Aberfeldy and Strathtay. The steep climb up past Schiehallion helps take the total ascent to 1196m – rather you than me! A well run event bringing thousands of cyclists to Highland Perthshire each year. More on our main website here.

2015 Travellers' Choice Awards in 3 categories

Delighted to hear this morning that Knockendarroch has won 2015 Travellers' Choice Awards in 3 categories. Tripadvisor reviewers have ranked us within the top 25 hotels in the UK for Best Small Hotel, Best Service and Most Romantic. Thanks goes to the fantastic team here at Knockendarroch and our lovely guests who left such kind reviews.