Scottish vacations are amazingly popular today due, in part, to the strength of the US dollar against the pound making vacations to Scotland, England and Wales pretty cheap, especially if travelling from from the United States of America. In the article below we take a look at three charming places to visit in Pitlochry, Blair Castle, the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre and the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre.

Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre

A power station is a bizarre location for a tourist attraction, but this is precisely where you will find the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Center. The center can be found inside the resplendent Pitlochry Power Station, and includes interactive displays which trace the history of hydro power in Scotland, from the 1940’s right up to the present day. The Pitlochry Dam, which was built between 1947 and 1951, also offers the thrilling chance to view the amazing salmon ladder via 3 observation chambers. Inside the visitor center, you will find audio-visual presentations and interactive explaining this natural spectacle. The turbine hall of Pitlochry Hydro-Electric Power Station can also be observed from within the Visitor Center.

Blair Castle

Dating back to the thirteenth century, Blair Castle is the ancestral seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl. The building of Blair Castle began in 1269, under the supervision of the Lord of Badenoch (John I Comyn), a nearby acquaintance of the Earl of Atholl. The Earl was away, fighting in the Crusade’s, when his neighbor began to build of his castle on his land. As soon as he returned the Earl complained angrily to the Scottish King, Alexander III about the interloper, and his lands were returned. Rather than destroying the tower than John I Comyn had erected, the Earl decided to merge the tower into his own castle. A Great Hall and a number of vaulted chambers were incorporated into the castle over the centuries, by  various Earls. It was the second Duke of Atholl who, in 1740, decided to restore the castle as a Georgian Mansion.

Killiecrankie Visitor Centre

During the era of the Jacobites Killiecrankie, close to Pitlochry, was filled with the sounds of battle. The government soldiers were utterly destroyed by the rebel Jacobite army, under the the direction of Bonnie Dundee. During the bloodthirsty battle one of the soldiers evaded capture by leaping across the River Garry, hence the name, Soldier’s Leap. The area of the gorge and pass were a favorite haunt of Queen Victoria.

To learn concerning the infamous battle you can pay a visit to the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre. The Killiecrankie Visitor Centre has a number of otherexhibitions and services, which include; ranger service’s, a natural history of the area and guided walks and much more.

If you are interested in taking a Scottish vacation based in Pitlochry then you can discover Pitlochry hotels online by by placing “Pitlochry hotel accommodation” in your favorite search engine.