Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
is a trip to the pleasant timber-beamed tearoom (see below), where you can
enjoy home-baked scones and light lunches (many items are made with the mill's
own flour).
INFORMATION AND ACTIVITIES
BLAIR ATHOLL
Atholl Estates Information Centre
Close to the bridge
over the River Tilt, a 5min walk east of the train station (April-
Oct daily 9am-4.45pm;
W
athollestatesrangerservice.co.uk)
.
Modern ranger station, where you can get details of the
extensive network of local walks and bike rides, as well as
information on surrounding flora and fauna.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Atholl Arms Hotel
On the main road, near the train
station
T
01796 481205,
W
athollarms.co.uk
. Grand but
reasonably priced, and the best place in town for a drink or
a bar meal. A tasty ham and haddie (smoked haddock and
bacon with cheese sauce) costs £10.15.
Bar: Mon-Thurs &
Sun noon-10.45pm, Fri &
Sat
noon-11.30pm; food
served daily noon-9.30pm.
£82
Ì
Blair Atholl Watermill
Ford Rd
T
01796 481321,
W
blairathollwatermill.co.uk
. Blair Atholl's top spot for
tea, tray bakes, toasties (from £4.65) and bagels (from
£5.25). in a charming (and still functioning) old watermill.
April-Oct: daily 9.30am-5pm.
Blair Castle Caravan Park
Within the grounds of Blair
Castle
T
01796 481263,
W
blaircastlecaravanpark
.co.uk.
Busy but attractive campsite with laundry facilities,
a games room an
d a s
hop selling the estate's own sausages.
Two-person tent
£18
Loch Tummel
West of Pitlochry, the B8019/B846 makes a memorably scenic, if tortuous, traverse of
the shores of
Loch Tummel
and then Loch Rannoch. hese two lochs and their
adjoining rivers were much changed by the massive hydroelectric schemes built in the
1940s and 1950s, yet this is still a spectacular stretch of countryside and one that
deserves leisurely exploration.
Queen's View
at the eastern end of Loch Tummel is an
obvious vantage point, looking down the loch to the misty peak of
Schiehallion
; the
name comes from the Gaelic meaning “Fairy Mountain”.
Schiehallion
Rising cone-like to a peak of 3553ft,
Schiehallion
is popular, fairly easy and inspiring
mountain to climb (3-4hr), with views on a good day to the massed ranks of Highland
peaks. he path starts up at Braes of Foss, just off the B846 that links Aberfeldy with
Kinloch Rannoch. You'll get a good view of the mountain from the cosy
Loch Tummel
Inn
(see below), about halfway along Loch Tummel.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
LOCH TUMMEL
Loch Tummel Inn
About halfway along Loch Tummel,
on the B8019
T
01882 634272,
W
lochtummelinn.
co.uk.
Beautiful stone-built inn serving real ale and rich
meals like pan-fried red-deer venison (£15.95). The picnic
benches out the front have magnificent views over the loch
and Schiehallion.
Bar:
Tues-Sat 12.30-midnight, Sun
noon-midnight;
food served Tue
s-Sa
t 12.30-2.30pm
& 5.30-8.30pm, Sun 12.15-8pm.
£80
Loch Rannoch and around
Beyond Loch Tummel, marking the eastern end of
Loch Rannoch
, the small
community of
Kinloch Rannoch
doesn't see a lot of passing trade - fishermen and
hillwalkers are the most common visitors. Otherwise, the only real destination here is
Rannoch Station, a lonely outpost on the Glasgow-Fort William West Highland
train line, sixteen miles further on: the road goes no further. Here you can
contemplate the bleakness of
Rannoch Moor
, a wide expanse of bog, heather and
wind-blown pine tree that stretches right across to the imposing entrance of Glen
Coe (see p.404).
