Gibbston Gables

Scottish vacations are amazingly popular today due, in part, to the strength of the $ against the UK pound making vacations to England, Wales and Scotland pretty cheap, especially if travelling from from the USA. In the article below we introduce you to three splendid places to visit in Pitlochry, the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre, the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre and Blair Castle.

Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre

A power station is an unusual location for a tourist center, but this is just where you will discover the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Center. The hydro center is found within the resplendent Pitlochry Power Station, and includes interactive exhibits describing the history of hydro power in Scotland, starting in the 1940’s up until the present day. The Pitlochry Dam, which was constructed between nineteen forty seven and nineteen fifty one, offers the interesting opportunity to observe the incredible salmon ladder through three observation areas. Once inside the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre, there are audio-visual presentations (interactive) explaining this natural spectacle. The turbine hall of Pitlochry Power Station can also be seen from within the Visitor Center.

Blair Castle

Blair Castle, which can be dated back to the 13th century, is the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl. The building of Blair Castle started in the year 1269, under the guidance of the Lord of Badenoch, John I Comyn, a close neighbor of the Earl of Atholl. The Earl was absent, fighting in the Crusade’s, when his neighbor began to build of Blair Castle on his land. As soon as the Earl returned to Scotland he complained angrily to the Scottish King, Alexander III about the interloper, and won back his lands. Rather than demolishing the tower than John I Comyn had built, the Earl decided to merge the tower into his own castle. A Great Hall and a series of vaulted chambers were incorporated into the castle over the centuries, by  different Earls. It was the second Duke of Atholl who, in 1740, decided to remodel the castle as a Georgian Mansion.

Killiecrankie Visitor Centre

During the time of the Jacobites Killiecrankie, not too far from Pitlochry, found itself filled with the noise of battle. The government soldiers were heavily overwhelmed by the rebel soldiers of the Jacobites, under the control of Bonnie Dundee. During the bloodthirsty battle one of the escaping soldiers managed to jump over the River Garry, which gained the name, Soldier’s Leap. The area about the gorge and pass were a favored place of Queen Victoria.

To discover facts about the famous battle you can visit the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre. The Killiecrankie Visitor Centre has a selection of otherdisplays and services, which include; ranger service’s, a natural history of the area and guided walks as well as many others.

If you are interested in taking a vacation in Scotland based in Pitlochry then you can find Pitlochry hotels online by by placing “Pitlochry hotel accommodation” in your favorite search engine.

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Aberdeen is Scotland’s third largest city, in relation to the city’s population size. Aberdeen’s buildings, since the mid eighteenth century, have been made using local grey granite and the city benefits from its sandy coastline. This has led to the city being nicknamed the Granite City and also the Silver City. However in recent years the city has added the nicknames of the Oil Capital of Europe or the Energy Capital of Europe due to the discovery of oil in the North Sea. The city of Aberdeen has benefitted greatly from its involvement in the oil industry and the support industries. Nowadays the city is thoroughly modern and immensely vibrant with a lively nighlife.

Aberdeen hotels are often booked by businessmen but also by various other types of people wishing to take advantage of the many visitor attractions the city has to offer. Below you will read details about 3; Satrosphere Science Centre, Aberdeen Maritime Museum and Duthie Park Winter Gardens:

Aberdeen Maritime Museum

Aberdeen’s Maritime Museum is situated close by the harbor, at the legendary Shiprow. There are stunning sights of the harbour from the museum. The Maritime Museum resides in quite a few buildings, including a former church and one of the oldest residences in Aberdeen. The museum has exhibits that include everything relating to the oceanic environment, from the oil industry to the fishing boats. Basically, the museum tells the  story of Aberdeen’s epic relationship with the sea. Some of the collections contain photographs, models, ship plans and paintings donated by the foremost of Aberdeen’s shipbuilders.

Duthie Park Winter Gardens

In 1881, Lady Elizabeth Duthie of Ruthrieston, gifted 44 acres of land, to the council. The land for the park was purchased, as a lasting memorial to her uncle and brother. In 1899, the gardens were ready, and were opened to the public. However, in 1969 misfortune occurred and the greenhouses had to be knocked down and rebuilt. This was due to severe storm damgage. Today, the David Welch Winter Gardens at Duthie Park are one of Scotland’s favourite garden attractions, and also the largest indoor gardens in the whole of Europe. Each greenhouse has an important collection such as, the Tropical House, Japanese Garden, Fern House, Victorian House, Temperate House and Corridor of Perfumes.

Satrosphere Science Centre

One of the first science and discovery centers in Scotland was the, Satrosphere Science Center, in Aberdeen. This interactive, hands-on science center, has more than 50 exhibits and live science shows, and opened its’ doors to the public in 1988. Although the center is aimed at primary age children, the attraction of the exhibits is universal. The center is situated in the old tram sheds, near to the sea front, on Constitution Street. The aim is to inspire children to become scientist’s, as interest in science courses in universities, is in decline. One of the best loved exhibits at the center is the famous giant soap bubble, where each child can be enclosed within a magic bubble.

There are a great many more tourist attractions in the Aberdeen area which are well worth a visit and the three above were chosen randomly. If you are planning to take a vacation in Aberdeen, Scotland then you will discover numerous quality hotels in Aberdeen, or various other forms of accommodation, available to book online.

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