Thursday 24 September

Pitlochry

A day trip by train from Edinburgh: lunch in town, a distillery tour, and time to look around before the train home.

The Day

Everything in town is walkable. The station, lunch and the shops sit along the same main street, Atholl Road. The distillery is at its south end.

  1. Train from Edinburgh
    Direct, 1 hr 50. Coach D, seats 33 & 34.
  2. Arrive Pitlochry
  3. Lunch
    About an hour. Leave by 1:30.
  4. Check in at the distillery
    10–15 min walk from the town centre.
  5. Distillery tour & tasting
    90 minutes. Ends about 3:30.
  6. Free time in town
    Head for the station by 5:15.
  7. Train to Edinburgh
    Change at Perth. Coach B, seats 3 & 4 as far as Perth. No reserved seats from Perth to Edinburgh.
  8. Arrive Edinburgh

Lunch Suggestions

Both are a few minutes’ walk from the station. Aim to leave by 1:30 for the distillery.

Victoria’s Restaurant

45 Atholl Road

A relaxed all-day bistro on the main street, with a broad lunch menu covering sandwiches, salads, fish and Scottish classics.

Lunch 12:00–5:00
Map

The Old Mill Inn

Mill Lane, just off Atholl Road

A pub and restaurant tucked just off the main street, serving locally sourced Scottish food, pub classics and daily specials.

Food 12:00–3:00
Map

Blair Athol Distillery

Whisky has been made at this site in Pitlochry since 1798. It was first called Aldour, after the stream that still supplies its water, but it closed soon after opening. After reopening in 1825, it changed hands several times over the next century. Its malt is best known as a core part of the Bell’s blend. Arthur Bell & Sons bought the distillery while it stood closed in the 1930s and rebuilt it, and it is now owned by Diageo.

Getting there

Perth Road, PH16 5LY. A 10–15 minute walk from the station. Arrive by 1:45.

Mash Tun bar · last orders 5:30
Map

Tickets

Tour & tasting · Thu 24 Sep 2026 · 2:00 pm · Booking 19071016. Show these at check-in. You don’t need a printed copy.

Adult 1
Ticket QR code, adult 1
3041928883070142751400131570
Adult 2
Ticket QR code, adult 2
3266954687220999122400131371

After the Tour

You will have a little over 90 minutes to explore or relax in town before you make your way back to the train station.

Out to the river

Pitlochry Dam & fish ladder

West end of town, on the River Tummel

A hydro-electric dam with a salmon ladder of 34 pools alongside it. The visitor centre covers the dam’s engineering and the salmon, and has a live camera on one of the pools. Salmon run up the ladder into October. You can walk to the ladder at any time.

Visitor centre closes 4:30Crossing the bridge near Blair Athol to the south side of the river and then coming back north across the top of the dam takes you through a different part of town. It is about a mile walk regardless of which route you take.
Website Map
In town

Shops along Atholl Road

Mostly small, locally owned shops. Hours vary.

  • Heathergems Jewellery made from heather · 22 Atholl Rd
  • Robertsons of Pitlochry Independent whisky merchant since 1962, known for single-cask bottlings, with a tasting room · 44–46 Atholl Rd
  • Coorie in the Corner Gifts, cards, homeware · 50 Atholl Rd
  • Honest Thistle Scottish-designed goods · 73B Atholl Rd
  • Wilsons of Pitlochry Leather goods · 87 Atholl Rd
  • John Muir Trust Books; free art exhibitions · Atholl Rd
  • The Perthshire Gallery Scottish art & craft · 14 Bonnethill Rd
  • Macnaughton’s Clothing & Highland dress, since 1835 · Station Rd

Sit down somewhere

  • Mash Tun bar, Blair Athol At the distillery
  • The Auld Smiddy Inn The town’s former blacksmith’s forge, now a listed pub with open fires and Scottish cask ales · 154 Atholl Rd
  • The Coach House, Fisher’s Hotel Hotel bar with a long malt whisky list · 75–79 Atholl Rd
  • The Old Mill Inn Pub, off Atholl Rd
  • Victoria’s Coffee & home baking · 45 Atholl Rd