Blair Atholl

Blair Atholl is a village in Perth and Kinross in the Scottish Highlands, notable for its castle, and with a population of about 500. Ringed by the Cairngorm mountains and within Cairngorms National Park, it's on the main route from Perth to Inverness. The village is at the confluence of the rivers Tilt and Garry, amidst the last large patch of farmland in the valley (Gaelic: blàr, a field or plain). Further north, the route rises through Calvine and over bleak Drumochter Pass, before descending into the Spey Valley. So if you led an invading army of Jacobites, or a vengeful loyalist army in pursuit, you'd have to march this way.

Atholl Glens is the Visitor Centre, just west of the Tilt river bridge and open daily 9AM-4:45PM.

By train
Blair Atholl has trains every hour or two from Edinburgh and Glasgow via Perth, Birnam and Pitlochry, which continue north to Newtonmore, Kingussie, Aviemore and Inverness. Getting here from England means changing in Edinburgh or Perth; the direct daytime train from London Kings Cross to Inverness doesn't stop here.

Nightly except Saturday, the Caledonian Highland Sleeper leaves London Euston around 9PM to reach Blair Atholl by 6:30AM on its way to Inverness. The southbound sleeper picks up around 10:30PM, reaching Euston by 8AM. You might prefer to take the Lowland Sleeper from Euston towards midnight, and change in Edinburgh for a daytime train. Returning south, you need to leave Blair Atholl not much after 8PM to join the Lowland Sleeper from Edinburgh around 11:30PM.

is west end of the village. It has a ticket office but no machines. There's a waiting room but no toilets or cafe. Both platforms have step-free access.

By bus
Most inter-city buses rush past on A9. Citylink M91 runs once daily from Edinburgh via Halbeath (for Fife), Kinross, Broxden P&R, Perth, Birnam and Pitlochry, taking 2 hr 30 min to Blair Atholl, and continuing to Newtonmore, Kingussie, Aviemore and Inverness. From Glasgow, Stirling or Dundee, change at Broxden P&R.

Elizabeth Yule Bus 87 runs from Pitlochry M-Sa every couple of hours, taking 30 min via Faskally and Killicrankie. It stops in Blair Atholl by the castle and at Atholl Arms (for railway station) and continues to House of Bruar and Calvine.

By road
Follow A9 north from Perth or south from Inverness and Aviemore to the loop road B8079, the former main road through town.

Get around
The village is small but you need wheels to reach Falls of Bruar. The nearest taxi firms are in Pitlochry.

See

 * is a ruin at the north end of the castle gardens, but also accessible by a public lane. Several Dukes of Atholl are buried here. It was the village church until abandoned in 1823.
 * Glen Tilt ascends north of the village. The lane up it is paved but narrow with no turning or passing places, use the car park by the turn-off for St Bride's.
 * are at Pitagowan behind House of Bruar shopping centre. It's a spectacular series of pools, waterfalls and natural arch, as the Bruar Water cuts a gorge through the rugged landscape. Best viewed in full spate after heavy rain, and in autumn with the colours of the leaves. In the 18th century the poet Robert Burns was one of many visitors who found the setting barren, so he wrote a poem to the Duke of Atholl, as if from the river, begging for some trees to adorn it. The Duke set about planting the area and laid out the present path; William Wordsworth complained it was too neat.
 * are at Pitagowan behind House of Bruar shopping centre. It's a spectacular series of pools, waterfalls and natural arch, as the Bruar Water cuts a gorge through the rugged landscape. Best viewed in full spate after heavy rain, and in autumn with the colours of the leaves. In the 18th century the poet Robert Burns was one of many visitors who found the setting barren, so he wrote a poem to the Duke of Atholl, as if from the river, begging for some trees to adorn it. The Duke set about planting the area and laid out the present path; William Wordsworth complained it was too neat.
 * are at Pitagowan behind House of Bruar shopping centre. It's a spectacular series of pools, waterfalls and natural arch, as the Bruar Water cuts a gorge through the rugged landscape. Best viewed in full spate after heavy rain, and in autumn with the colours of the leaves. In the 18th century the poet Robert Burns was one of many visitors who found the setting barren, so he wrote a poem to the Duke of Atholl, as if from the river, begging for some trees to adorn it. The Duke set about planting the area and laid out the present path; William Wordsworth complained it was too neat.

Do

 * Golf: Blair Atholl Golf is nine holes. It's at the foot of Invertilt Rd, east of the river.
 * Atholl Highland Gathering is held at the castle in late May, with the next on Sa 26 May 2024.
 * Jamborette is for Scouts, Explorers and Sea Scouts worldwide aged 14-17. It's similar to the world Scout Jamboree but smaller, with numbers capped at 1000. It's held in the castle grounds in the summer of even years, with the next on 15-26 July 2024.

Eat

 * Blair Atholl Watermill is a working mill and bakery with tea room and shop. It's behind Atholl Arms and open April-Oct daily 9:30AM-3:30PM.
 * Blair Atholl Watermill is a working mill and bakery with tea room and shop. It's behind Atholl Arms and open April-Oct daily 9:30AM-3:30PM.
 * Blair Atholl Watermill is a working mill and bakery with tea room and shop. It's behind Atholl Arms and open April-Oct daily 9:30AM-3:30PM.

Drink

 * Blair Atholl is too small for a stand-alone pub, try the Atholl Arms Hotel or The Loft restaurant.
 * Sorry, but Blair Athol (one "L") whisky distillery isn't here, it's in Pitlochry; it's still worth sampling. There's another in Dalwhinnie, then more than you can imagine on Speyside.

Sleep

 * Parc Royale on the river bank opposite the castle is long-stay self-catering lodges, they don't offer short-stay.
 * Parc Royale on the river bank opposite the castle is long-stay self-catering lodges, they don't offer short-stay.
 * Parc Royale on the river bank opposite the castle is long-stay self-catering lodges, they don't offer short-stay.
 * Parc Royale on the river bank opposite the castle is long-stay self-catering lodges, they don't offer short-stay.
 * Parc Royale on the river bank opposite the castle is long-stay self-catering lodges, they don't offer short-stay.

Connect
Blair Atholl and the A9 have 4G from all UK carriers. As of March 2024, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * The valley of Strath Tummel leads west up to lonely Rannoch Moor, where the road dead-ends.
 * North you climb over Drumochter Pass to Dalwhinnie: either stay on A9 to descend into Spey Valley and Aviemore, or go west on A86 across the hills to Fort William, Ben Nevis, and routes to Skye.
 * It's a twisty slow road to go east across the hills, but you can go via Pitlochry and A924 to Kirkmichael and Glenshee; thence over the pass to Braemar and the Dee valley.
 * Or head south on A9 to return to the lowlands and Perth.