Pitlochry
Pitlochry is Highland Perthshire’s largest town
Pitlochry is the place name for four other places around the world, (two in north America, one in Australia), this is the original Pitlochry. It started as a crossroads after General Wade built his new military road here in 1728. It originally consisted of three separate hamlets. The settlements attracted mills and distilleries, (two of which remain to this day). It was the arrival of the railway in 1863 that transformed the town in to a thriving tourist town.
A short video of the popular Highland town of Pitlochry, includes massed pipes and drums taken in 2009.
The Pitlochry railway station is an important link, being on the main East Coast Line between London and Inverness, bringing many visitors to the town all year round. Piltochry continues to enjoy being on the main road network (the A9 being the main arterial route through Scotland) connecting central Scotland to the north of Scotland. Both these factors have helped maintain the town's importance, when so many other towns have lost theirs from the early days of tourism.
Pitlochry has a strong culture of business groups and organisations working together for the benefit of the town as a whole. This was established at the start of the 20th century when a number of the town's businesses decided, if the town wanted to be a tourist town it had to have a number of things:-
- They established the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band (which is as strong and vibrant as ever), with over 100 members.
- They established Pitlochry Golf Course just before so many young men went off to fight and never return from the First World War.
- They put in a proper water supply to the town.
Pitlochry continues to develop its tourism infra structure, recently being gifted the Enchanted Forest, which runs for 17 nights each autumn attracting some 20,000 people to Pitlochry and Highland Perthshire each year.
