Pitlochry

We are in Pitlochry in Perthshire, which is in the middle of Scotland. We caught the train from Aberdeen yesterday and plan to spend two nights here. We thought about bookingย one of the Co-wheels cars but it actually worked out to be the same price, if not cheaper, to catch the train. That’s including the fact that we had to buy four tickets. We have one of those family and friends railcards which makes it very economical. If the choice of car versus train works out to be the same price, we’ll always choose the train because it’s so pleasant and enjoyable.

When the train first leaves Aberdeen it travels right along the coast which makes for some lovely views of plunging cliffs and ocean to the horizon. We usually book our seats and reserve a table seat so we can eat our lunch or work on laptops or maybe just read a book. There isn’t a mode of transportation I enjoy more, other than cycling, I guess.

Train stations are also fascinating places. We changed trains in Perth and the station there is a lovely old Victorian building. I love the iron and brick-work and the lack of concrete. Concrete is, to my mind, the baneย of modern architecture.

IMG_9863_2

Pitlochry train station was also beautiful:

IMG_9881

IMG_9883_2

We also saw some wind farms from the train and they were not at all the blight on the landscape that others seem to think they are.

IMG_9853_2

Pitlochry is a very cute village. The main street is lined with lovely old Victorian buildings and lots of inviting cafes and shops. This next photo is of part of the main street. The only thing spoiling it are the cars. If I ruled the world I’d ban cars from the main streets of villages and cities. They shouldn’t be there. These are places for people, not ugly chunks of metal. I guess most people would disagree with me.

IMG_9896_2

There are some splendid views here:

IMG_9890

And giant pine cones:

IMG_9899_2

We are told there are lots of red squirrels around so the plan today is to go and find some.


Posted

in

,

by

Comments

25 responses to “Pitlochry”

  1. fossilcyclist Avatar

    Visit the fist ladder on the other side of the dam, with luck you’ll see the salmon running through. The Moulin Inn up the hill east of the village has a good atmosphere as well. When the local Sportive is on, no cars just 5,000 cyclists & closed roads – fabulous.

    1. Rachel M Avatar

      Yes, we plan to go and have a look there this afternoon. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for salmon.

  2. Sarah Jane Hird Avatar

    Yes, the salmon ladder…one of the downsides of having dams built for hydroelectricity means it makes it tricky for salmon to do their traditional upward journey, and for bears to catch them too (not an issue in UK, more so in US or Canada…so applause for the foresight to have wind generated power! they have great theatre in Pitlochry too! Perth is a lovely town- about 18miles or so (?) away there is Dundee- which I know I shouldn’t say, is a veritable dump in comparison! Still, there are some nice sides to the Fife area and Arbroath and the coastal towns are nice-St Andrews was a pleasant day away too!

    1. Rachel M Avatar

      Yes, there are lots of lovely places to visit in this area. I think we’ll be sticking to Pitlochry for this trip though. I’ve heard Dundee has improved considerably in recent years.

    1. Rachel M Avatar

      That’s lovely. Thanks.

  3. fossilcyclist Avatar

    Dundee has some great bits though, just need to look around.

  4. luciledegodoy Avatar

    Beautiful photos, Rachel. I totally side with you. Cars destroy the view.

    1. Rachel M Avatar

      Good! Nice to know I’m not alone. It’s not just that they spoil the view but they also produce noise pollution and exhaust fumes. Walking along the side of the road in a lovely old Victorian village is spoilt by the smell and sound of cars whizzing by. It would be a huge improvement if they just weren’t there.

      1. luciledegodoy Avatar

        I feel the same when walking along the narrow canals of Amsterdam.
        The authorities make parking a very expensive experience but this isn’t enough to stop them.
        I know that it’s difficult to transport goods and people in out the area, but there should be a restriction of some sort.

      2. Rachel M Avatar

        It’s interesting that even in Amsterdam, where bicycles rule (or so I thought), that cars are still an irritating presence.

      3. luciledegodoy Avatar

        Bikes rule indeed but still…cars are not forgotten. People start to use the shared system with electric cars but it’s not as much as I had expected. Convenience.
        You should see the traffic jams we have in such a small country! One person per car.

  5. TanGental Avatar

    Hey, a love of trains too? I’m so there! My ambition is to travel everywhere by train but especially the most iconic journeys. Wherever we travel I look to see what the train journeys look like. So we’ve done a few in Canada, NZ and Oz as well as all over the UK and the continent. French trains take some beating but generally in Europe they are easily the best way to get about without the hassle of strange motorways and airports.

    1. Rachel M Avatar

      I totally agree. Train travel is just the best. We’ve never done any of those sleeper train trips but we’ve considered doing the overnight one from Scotland to the south of England. Maybe one day.

      1. TanGental Avatar

        We did the Ghan in Oz with the kids years back Just fantastic,

      2. Rachel M Avatar

        I’ve heard that’s a great trip but I’ve never done it.

  6. Sherri Avatar

    Hope you found your red squirrels ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Rachel M Avatar

      I did! I saw two this morning. I’ll blog about it later ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Sherri Avatar

        Oh wow! Can’t wait…and I read again in the paper yesterday that they are definitely being seen more often, especially in the Aberdeen area. The experts thing that they have grown resistant to the pox that almost killed them off! Yay ๐Ÿ˜€

  7. ladysighs Avatar

    Everything looked so clean and neat. ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. scifihammy Avatar

    You’re right – trains are the most civilised way to travel.
    I hope you get to see your red squirrels ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Denise Avatar

    When I read giant pine cones, I thought, yes, my children have picked some from trees, and we kept them as nice souvenirs, and then I scrolled down and my jaw dropped. I will show it to them when I get home!

    1. Rachel M Avatar

      It is a very cool pine cone. Not real of course. Just a lovely work of art ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. A. I. Sajib Avatar

    I would be all dreamy and stuff if the weather in these images was cloudy. ๐Ÿ˜€

  11. PedalWORKS Avatar

    Beautiful pictures. I couldn’t agree with you more about the cars. Noisy polluters. I don’t travel by train often – twice in my life and only in Canada – but love the experience and understand train travel in GB is fast, clean and relaxing. Have a nice trip.

Leave a comment