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.