Help Needed Pitlochry Scotland
May 3rd, 2007 | 06:04 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Apr 2007
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Help Needed Pitlochry Scotland
Is there anyone out there who has stayed in the Moulin Hotel in Pitlochry Scotland. My husband and I are travelling to Scotland from Oz and have booked into the Moulin Hotel as a base for 5 night and intened to travel around Scotland for 12 days. Can anyone tell me if this is central and what MUST SEES are in the area. We want to do a bit of hiking whilst we are there. I rather fancy the Hebredes but have been told that Perthshire is very scenic. Any input would be apprecaited. Also how cold will it be we are travelling in four weeks time.
May 3rd, 2007 | 06:29 PM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
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Can't help you with your hotel in Pitlochry, but Perthshire is indeed beautiful.
In 2004 we stayed in Dunkeld which we really enjoyed. It is right on the Tay River and has a lovely Cathedral.
We drove to Kenmore as a day trip which was wonderful. As I remember, we traveled across the Sma' Glen from Crieff to Aberfeldy and it was some of the best scenery of our trip.
Our trip was also in May but a little later in the month. It was chilly many days but mostly we had great weather.
In 2004 we stayed in Dunkeld which we really enjoyed. It is right on the Tay River and has a lovely Cathedral.
We drove to Kenmore as a day trip which was wonderful. As I remember, we traveled across the Sma' Glen from Crieff to Aberfeldy and it was some of the best scenery of our trip.
Our trip was also in May but a little later in the month. It was chilly many days but mostly we had great weather.
May 3rd, 2007 | 07:35 PM
#3
Joined: Aug 2006
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We haven't stayed in this particular hotel, but Pitlochry is a delightful village. Very scenic, although small. We spent a week at the Moness Country Club cottages in Aberfeldy, not far away, and can vouch for the quality and central location as a base for daytrips. Enjoy your trip in beautiful Scotland!
May 3rd, 2007 | 07:51 PM
#4
Joined: Aug 2005
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We spent a week in Pitlochry a while back and had a really nice time. We stayed in an apartment we rented, though, not a hotel.
There's a terrific regional theater there, and if memory serves Blair Castle is nearby. There's ample and enjoyable golf nearby. There's a nearby whiskey distillery, the Edradour, which is the smallest in Scotland and a nice little tour.
The town is nice for walking, particularly across the footbridge over the river by the salmon hatchery. There were some excellent restaurants convenient to town; sorry, can't recall the names.
The train station is right in town. We actually found the location convenient to touring the region by train or car.
There's a terrific regional theater there, and if memory serves Blair Castle is nearby. There's ample and enjoyable golf nearby. There's a nearby whiskey distillery, the Edradour, which is the smallest in Scotland and a nice little tour.
The town is nice for walking, particularly across the footbridge over the river by the salmon hatchery. There were some excellent restaurants convenient to town; sorry, can't recall the names.
The train station is right in town. We actually found the location convenient to touring the region by train or car.
May 3rd, 2007 | 10:10 PM
#5
Joined: May 2003
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Hi
I haven't stayed at the Hotel but I did have an evening meal there last year - very disappointing. You might want to look at the various reviews on Tripadvisor which are somewhat mixed The Moulin is on the edge of the town.
My friend lives nr Pitlochry and recommends The Strathgarry
www.strathgarryhotel.co.uk
or Craigatin (upmarket B and B). Both of these are central to the town.
www.craigatinhouse.co.uk/
I haven't stayed at the Hotel but I did have an evening meal there last year - very disappointing. You might want to look at the various reviews on Tripadvisor which are somewhat mixed The Moulin is on the edge of the town.
My friend lives nr Pitlochry and recommends The Strathgarry
www.strathgarryhotel.co.uk
or Craigatin (upmarket B and B). Both of these are central to the town.
www.craigatinhouse.co.uk/
May 4th, 2007 | 03:31 AM
#6
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,282
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I have eaten there once and the food was good on that occasion - as was the beer ! (As you probably know it has its own microbrewery.) It is good pub food, though, not haute cuisine, and best appreciated by just eating in the bar.
Unclear about whether you mean the Moulin as a base for *all* of Scotland, or the Moulin as a base for Perthshire *plus* 12 days for the rest of Scotland ?
Unclear about whether you mean the Moulin as a base for *all* of Scotland, or the Moulin as a base for Perthshire *plus* 12 days for the rest of Scotland ?
May 6th, 2007 | 10:52 AM
#7
Joined: May 2007
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We have stayed at Wellwood House three separate times on our journeys through Scotland. We recommend this beautiful B&B as a home base for your travels. More like staying at country home with friends than at a hotel where you are anonymous. You can drive to Blair Castle. You can tour Edradour, which is great fun. Once you book with Jim and Maggi, you can ask Jim the Must See questions -- he will help you.
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May 6th, 2007 | 11:13 AM
#8
Joined: Jan 2003
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I've stayed in the Moulin on a number of occasions. I like it a lot, for the reasons Caroline mentions.
I've prepared stuff before for this area, although it was predicated on staying further up the Tay towards Aberfeldy. Here goes:-
Starting at Dunkeld you will find nearby the Loch of the Lowes which is a wildlife reserve owned by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. It's one of the osprey sites and they should be back by the time you are going, so you should visit. Dunkeld itself is a very pretty town. The square is owned by the National Trust. There's a very good deli and a few good antique shops. If you're tempted to buy, they're all a bit on the pricey side, so you should not pay what they are asking. Talk them down a bit. Yhe cathedral is worth a visit, and the pub along from the Atholl Hotel, the Taybank, used to be owned by Dougie McLean, a very famous (at least in Scotland) local folk singer. It still runs ona traditional music theme. If you don't know his work go and get an album called "Indigenous" and listen before you go. There are nice walks along the river from the town. On the west side of the A9 at Birnam you can walk up Birnam Hill from behind the station (it's signposted, or "waymarked" as they say in the fancy mags) You know the stuff about "When Birnam wood shall come to Dunsinane" from Macbeth? Well, that's where's it's from.
Further north a couple of miles, at Inver is the Hermitage, also owned by the National Trust, a lovely place to walk in the trees along by the river Braan. There's also a nice walk up the hill above Dunkeld.
Next Aberfeldy. The obvious place is the Birks. Do you know your Burns?
"Bonnie lassie, will ye go
will ye go
will ye go
Bonnie lassie, will ye go
tae the Birks o Aberfeldy?"
Mm I think it loses something in the non-singing.
Nice walks along the riverside. There's a pub in Aberfeldy called something like the Black Watch. It's just at the junction of the Weem Road and the main road through the town. The Weem Hotel used to be great and it still has some character and is worth a visit, but we had a meal there a couple of years ago and it was a disaster.
Nearby you have Castle Menzies which is open to the public and is worth a visit. Lastly on this bit is the Ailean Craggan which has a horrible modern appearance but excellent food, good beer and good crack and company.
West of Ben Lawers, which is an excellent walk in its own right, you come onto the Tarmachan ridge, which is well worth following. It's a linear walk that takes you down to Killin, so either do the first peak and come back or get a taxi back to your car from Killin. GET A MAP- assuming you can map read. Don't go if you can't. It's reputed to be a relatively easy walk except in winter. There are 3 Munros on the ridge I think. Killin is a strange mixture of awful tourist tat and outdoor shops. There's a lovely view at the Falls of Dochart at the top end of the town.
On the south side of the Loch you will find the Ardeonaig Hotel- lovely from the outside very good food. Expensive for staying but we stayed 2 nights a couple of years ago and loved it. There's a nice walk into the hills to the south above it.
Further east you will come to the Crannog centre- well worth a visit; then Kenmore itself. Kenmore is a beautiful planned 18th Century village, with a very old hotel- reputed to be the oldest in Scotland. the food is good without being excellent. Burns is supposed to have stayed here. There's a super craft shop in a converted Church between the beach at the bottom of the loch and the Hotel which does soup and sandwiches for a quick and nutritious lunch.
From the village there are a number of nice walks. You can go through the arch into Taymouth Castle estate- golf course for partners- and wander along the riverside. You can go over the river and turn left into what was the old policies and walk along the loch side and through the old gardens.
It's quite wild when you get past the time share stuff; and you can climb Drummond Hill above the north side of the loch. There are a range of waymarked paths.
Another quite nice linear walk is to come over the hill from Amulree to Kenmore. It's all tarmaced now. I first did it when I was at school and most of the road was a track. But very few people do it. Problem is, you have to leave your car at Amulree. You could arrange to have supper at the Hotel in Kenmore in return for them taking you back for your car, I suppose.
Above Pitlochry there's a hill called Ben Vrackie, which is a very nice walk. The Moulin Inn would be a lovely place to finish off that walk.
Glen Lyon. Driving west from Weem you come to Fortingall (if you don't take the turn off for Kenmore)It's a pretty but dull village with a row of thatched cottages. It's famous for 2 things- in the churchyard is a 3000 year old Yew tree which is meant to be the oldest tree in Britain; and legend has it that Pontius Pilate was born here. Yes, really! His Da' was meant to have been a legionnaire here when he was born. I haven't been in the hotel for years but it has character and used to do great afternoon teas.
Just past Fortingall you get into the Glen proper. Some people think it's one of the most beautiful in Scotland. I certainly think it's very special. There are lots of lovely walks. There are Munros (mountains over 3000 feet high) on both sides of the Glen. At the top you come first to the hamlet of Brig of Balgie. The Post Office has a tea room and the whole affair is run by my friend Kate Conway. If you go down to the side of the river here you can walk up as far as Meggernie and then come back to the road and home again. Or drive on up to the dam. Lots of places to walk here.
The drive from Brig of Balgie over the hill past Ben Lawers to Loch Tay side is beautiful. Ben Lawers is owned by the National Trust and there is a very good visitor centre which is worth a visit. They own the mountain for the alpine flora. You should be there at a good time to see it. It's a deceptively easy looking mountain. Do have a go; but be careful of the weather. It can be treacherous if it changes on you.
A good day out would be... 8am, leave-drive straight up the A9, passing Killiecrankie and the soldier's leap; House of Bruar (the Harrods of the north), Dalwhinnie (distillery); Kingussie (Ruthven Barracks) Aviemore (architectural nightmare, but good for Cairngorm- you can take the chair lift to the top if you like) Inverness (don't stop- it's not worth it! Lunch on Loch Ness side; stop at castle Urquart; down the Great Glen to Spean Bridge (Commando Monument) then Fort William (armpit of the west) passing Aonach Mor and Ben Nevis; 12 miles south along Loch Linnhe to Ballachulish, over the Bridge and up to Glen Coe- through the Glen of Weeping (National Trust)to Tyndrum(Green Welly shop because you just HAVE to) past Crianlarich and along Glen Dochart to Lix- down to Killin at the other end of Loch Tay- along the south side of the Loch, stopping for dinner at the Ardeonaig and then12 miles to home. Tired but happy.
Hope this gives you some ideas.
I've prepared stuff before for this area, although it was predicated on staying further up the Tay towards Aberfeldy. Here goes:-
Starting at Dunkeld you will find nearby the Loch of the Lowes which is a wildlife reserve owned by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. It's one of the osprey sites and they should be back by the time you are going, so you should visit. Dunkeld itself is a very pretty town. The square is owned by the National Trust. There's a very good deli and a few good antique shops. If you're tempted to buy, they're all a bit on the pricey side, so you should not pay what they are asking. Talk them down a bit. Yhe cathedral is worth a visit, and the pub along from the Atholl Hotel, the Taybank, used to be owned by Dougie McLean, a very famous (at least in Scotland) local folk singer. It still runs ona traditional music theme. If you don't know his work go and get an album called "Indigenous" and listen before you go. There are nice walks along the river from the town. On the west side of the A9 at Birnam you can walk up Birnam Hill from behind the station (it's signposted, or "waymarked" as they say in the fancy mags) You know the stuff about "When Birnam wood shall come to Dunsinane" from Macbeth? Well, that's where's it's from.
Further north a couple of miles, at Inver is the Hermitage, also owned by the National Trust, a lovely place to walk in the trees along by the river Braan. There's also a nice walk up the hill above Dunkeld.
Next Aberfeldy. The obvious place is the Birks. Do you know your Burns?
"Bonnie lassie, will ye go
will ye go
will ye go
Bonnie lassie, will ye go
tae the Birks o Aberfeldy?"
Mm I think it loses something in the non-singing.
Nice walks along the riverside. There's a pub in Aberfeldy called something like the Black Watch. It's just at the junction of the Weem Road and the main road through the town. The Weem Hotel used to be great and it still has some character and is worth a visit, but we had a meal there a couple of years ago and it was a disaster.
Nearby you have Castle Menzies which is open to the public and is worth a visit. Lastly on this bit is the Ailean Craggan which has a horrible modern appearance but excellent food, good beer and good crack and company.
West of Ben Lawers, which is an excellent walk in its own right, you come onto the Tarmachan ridge, which is well worth following. It's a linear walk that takes you down to Killin, so either do the first peak and come back or get a taxi back to your car from Killin. GET A MAP- assuming you can map read. Don't go if you can't. It's reputed to be a relatively easy walk except in winter. There are 3 Munros on the ridge I think. Killin is a strange mixture of awful tourist tat and outdoor shops. There's a lovely view at the Falls of Dochart at the top end of the town.
On the south side of the Loch you will find the Ardeonaig Hotel- lovely from the outside very good food. Expensive for staying but we stayed 2 nights a couple of years ago and loved it. There's a nice walk into the hills to the south above it.
Further east you will come to the Crannog centre- well worth a visit; then Kenmore itself. Kenmore is a beautiful planned 18th Century village, with a very old hotel- reputed to be the oldest in Scotland. the food is good without being excellent. Burns is supposed to have stayed here. There's a super craft shop in a converted Church between the beach at the bottom of the loch and the Hotel which does soup and sandwiches for a quick and nutritious lunch.
From the village there are a number of nice walks. You can go through the arch into Taymouth Castle estate- golf course for partners- and wander along the riverside. You can go over the river and turn left into what was the old policies and walk along the loch side and through the old gardens.
It's quite wild when you get past the time share stuff; and you can climb Drummond Hill above the north side of the loch. There are a range of waymarked paths.
Another quite nice linear walk is to come over the hill from Amulree to Kenmore. It's all tarmaced now. I first did it when I was at school and most of the road was a track. But very few people do it. Problem is, you have to leave your car at Amulree. You could arrange to have supper at the Hotel in Kenmore in return for them taking you back for your car, I suppose.
Above Pitlochry there's a hill called Ben Vrackie, which is a very nice walk. The Moulin Inn would be a lovely place to finish off that walk.
Glen Lyon. Driving west from Weem you come to Fortingall (if you don't take the turn off for Kenmore)It's a pretty but dull village with a row of thatched cottages. It's famous for 2 things- in the churchyard is a 3000 year old Yew tree which is meant to be the oldest tree in Britain; and legend has it that Pontius Pilate was born here. Yes, really! His Da' was meant to have been a legionnaire here when he was born. I haven't been in the hotel for years but it has character and used to do great afternoon teas.
Just past Fortingall you get into the Glen proper. Some people think it's one of the most beautiful in Scotland. I certainly think it's very special. There are lots of lovely walks. There are Munros (mountains over 3000 feet high) on both sides of the Glen. At the top you come first to the hamlet of Brig of Balgie. The Post Office has a tea room and the whole affair is run by my friend Kate Conway. If you go down to the side of the river here you can walk up as far as Meggernie and then come back to the road and home again. Or drive on up to the dam. Lots of places to walk here.
The drive from Brig of Balgie over the hill past Ben Lawers to Loch Tay side is beautiful. Ben Lawers is owned by the National Trust and there is a very good visitor centre which is worth a visit. They own the mountain for the alpine flora. You should be there at a good time to see it. It's a deceptively easy looking mountain. Do have a go; but be careful of the weather. It can be treacherous if it changes on you.
A good day out would be... 8am, leave-drive straight up the A9, passing Killiecrankie and the soldier's leap; House of Bruar (the Harrods of the north), Dalwhinnie (distillery); Kingussie (Ruthven Barracks) Aviemore (architectural nightmare, but good for Cairngorm- you can take the chair lift to the top if you like) Inverness (don't stop- it's not worth it! Lunch on Loch Ness side; stop at castle Urquart; down the Great Glen to Spean Bridge (Commando Monument) then Fort William (armpit of the west) passing Aonach Mor and Ben Nevis; 12 miles south along Loch Linnhe to Ballachulish, over the Bridge and up to Glen Coe- through the Glen of Weeping (National Trust)to Tyndrum(Green Welly shop because you just HAVE to) past Crianlarich and along Glen Dochart to Lix- down to Killin at the other end of Loch Tay- along the south side of the Loch, stopping for dinner at the Ardeonaig and then12 miles to home. Tired but happy.
Hope this gives you some ideas.
May 10th, 2007 | 02:10 PM
#9
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 359
Likes: 0
I've never stayed at the Moulin but as a pub I love it. The food is better than average pub grub and the beer is to die for. It is expensive though. A favourite day out of mine on a clear day is to park next to the Moulin, climb Ben Vrackie where the summit view will knock you over, have a swim in the loch halfway down, then into the Moulin. If only there was someone to drive me home....
Pitlochry itself can get very touristy but it has eateries to suit every taste including dreadful. Believe everything people tell you about how beautiful Perthshire is. Then multiply that by ten and you have the Hebrides (aka the Western Isles) in good weather.
The weather in Scotland is notoriously difficult to predict but June is usually the best time to visit. Pack a good wind and waterproof jacket and you'll be guaranteed sunshine '-)
Sheila, will you please stop these posts? You're making my feet itchy again.
Pitlochry itself can get very touristy but it has eateries to suit every taste including dreadful. Believe everything people tell you about how beautiful Perthshire is. Then multiply that by ten and you have the Hebrides (aka the Western Isles) in good weather.
The weather in Scotland is notoriously difficult to predict but June is usually the best time to visit. Pack a good wind and waterproof jacket and you'll be guaranteed sunshine '-)
Sheila, will you please stop these posts? You're making my feet itchy again.
