Pitlochry

By train

Pitlochry is on the main railway line from Edinburgh and Glasgow via Perth, then north to Aviemore and Inverness, with Scotrail trains every hour or two.
Reaching Pitlochry from England usually involves changing in Edinburgh, but there is one direct daytime train from London Kings Cross, via York, Newcastle and Edinburgh, taking 6 hours 30 min.
Nightly except Saturday, the Highland Sleeper leaves London Euston around 21:00 to reach Pitlochry by 06:00 on its way to Inverness. (So you might do better to take the Lowland Sleeper to Edinburgh then change to a daytime train.) The southbound sleeper picks up around 22:45, reaching Euston by 08:00.
Pitlochry Railway Station is in the village centre.

By bus

Most of the buses along the A9 bypass Pitlochry, and there's usually only one or two Citylink buses per day from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth.

• The best way to get around the local area is by car.
• Local buses are run by Stagecoach. Some useful routes are bus 24/27 from Perth via Dunkeld to Pitlochry (M-Sa hourly, 3 on Sunday); and bus 87 from Pitlochry to Blair Atholl and Calvine, every couple of hours.

• Escape Route

  phone: +44 1796 473859
  address: 3 Atholl Road, PH16 5BX
  Bike hire is available from this bicycle shop on main road. £24 for 24 hours, or £18 until closing time. Hire includes helmet, pump, spare tubes & tyre levers.

• Pitlochry Dam and Fish Ladder

  address: Pitlochry, PH16 5DR
  Pitlochry Dam was completed in 1951, blocking the River Tummel to create Loch Faskally, 5 km long. The dam incorporates a fish ladder (with windows to view underwater) to enable salmon to continue making their way upstream. The dam complex generates hydro-electric power for the National Grid.

• Festival Theatre

  phone: +44 1796 484626
  address: Port Na Craig, PH16 5DR
  There's a programme of theatre year-round, and Pitlochry Festival has been held each summer since 1951 - for its first 30 years in a marquee, now in this theatre. The summer programme runs June-Sept each year.

• Edradour Distillery

  phone: +44 1796 472002
  address: Pitlochry, PH16 5JP
  Edradour, founded in 1825, produces a range of single malt Scotch whiskies: expert tasters use descriptions like rum, caramel, fruity, sweet. It's said to be the smallest legal whisky distillery in Scotland. The minimum used to be 1800 litres still capacity - anything smaller was likely to be producing moonshine - but a 2009 legal case threw out the minimum and opened the way to micro- or "craft / boutique" distilleries.

• Blair Athol Distillery

  phone: +44 1796 482003
  address: Perth Road, PH16 5LY
  It's owned by Diageo and most of the product is blended, but they do issue a single malt, the 12 year old Blair Athol. The pricier the tour, the more whisky you sample, from the standard at £9.50 up to the "Experience" at £250. As they sagely point out, "please ensure you make suitable transport arrangements."

• Walk: lots of routes nearby. The signature hike in Pitlochry is up Ben Vrackie (841 m, a Corbett). The hike starts close to the Moulin Brewery and Hotel, taking 4 hours return through woodland and open heath to the last steep scramble. Easy in summer, in winter it's icy; see Walkhighlands for a route description.
• Cycle or drive the scenic old road through the Pass of Killiecrankie, B8019. It's especially attractive in autumn.
• March into Pitlochry is a live music festival for charity in late March. The next event is probably 21-22 March 2020 but tbc.
• Pitlochry Highland Games are held early Sept in the Recreation Park. The next event is Sat 12 Sept 2020.

Enchanted Forest is a sound & light show held in autumn in Faskally Forest, a mile north of Pitlochry on B8019. The next event is 3 Oct - 3 Nov 2019.

• Moulin Brewery

  phone: +44 1796 472196
  address: PH16 5EW
  A small local brewery adjacent to the Moulin Hotel.
• There is a larger Co-operative supermarket in the town centre at the beginning of West Moulin Road (A924).

• Cafe Biba

  phone: +44 1796 473294
  address: 40 Atholl Road, PH16 5BX
  Traditional fare.

• McKays

  phone: +44 1796 473888
  address: 138 Atholl Road, PH16 5AG
  McKays has a restaurant, pub with bar food & live music and TV sport, fish & chips takeaway. It's also a 3-star hotel, doubles from £60 pn. They own Caffe Scozia opposite.

• Caffe Scozia

  phone: +44 1796 472469
  address: 113 Atholl Road
  Pizzeria in the former Strathgarry Hotel, now run by McKays.

• The Auld Smiddy

  phone: +44 1796 472356
  address: 154 Atholl Road, PH16 5AG
  An old forge that has been refurbished and is now a cafe. Sandwiches and traditional fare. Wheelchair accessible.
• For Asian food, there's Prince of India at 5 Station Rd (daily 12:00-23:00), and Bamboo House takeaway at 48 Atholl Rd (Su M W Th 15:30-23:00, F Sa 12:30-23:00).

• The Old Mill Inn (see "sleep") usually has live music Fridays and Saturdays.

• There's a series of small guest houses dotted along the main road.

• Pitlochry Backpackers Hotel

  phone: +44 1796 470044
  address: 134 Atholl Road, PH16 5AB
  Twin, double and dorm rooms are available plus a wonderful sunny lounge, overlooking the main street.

• Fishers Hotel

  phone: +44 1796 472000
  address: 75-79 Atholl Road PH16 5BN
  Central reliable 3-star.

• Scotland's Hotel

  phone: +44 870 950 6276
  address: 40 Bonnethill Road, PH16 5BT
  3-star, usually reliable but showing its age.

• Pitlochry Youth Hostel

  phone: +44 1796 472308
  address: Knockard Road, PH16 5HJ
  Great 62 bed hostel near the town centre in a fine stone mansion.

• Dundarach Hotel

  address: Perth Rd PH16 5DJ
  Gothic but welcoming, central.

• The Old Mill Inn

  phone: +44 1796 474020
  address: Mill Lane PH16 5BH
  4 star hotel with bar. The restaurant gets good reviews.

• Atholl Palace Hotel

  phone: +44 1796 472400
  address: PH16 5LX
  Splendid 4-star Victorian pile in woodland east of town.

• Killiecrankie Hotel

  phone: +44 1796 473220
  address: PH16 5LG
  4-star hotel surrounded by gardens and woodland. Dogs welcome.

• Dunkeld and Birnam — to see a tree from Shakespeare's Birnam Wood
• Blair Atholl — for the Falls of Bruar