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The "Gateway to the Highlands" is a small Victorian style town lying in the shadow of Ben Vrackie with the Cairngorms rising like a backcloth behind it.
Such a dramatic background is very suitable for a town that boasts its own, very successful and internationally acclaimed theatre which proudly claims to present "six plays every six days" throughout the year with two matinees on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
At a time when theatre was dying, Pitlochry's Theatre thrived and today it is a major contributor to the Highland town's economy, all thanks to the dream of a Glasgow business man who first visited the district in 1942.
His name was John Stewart and he was a director of Skerry's, a well known business college that trained thousands of Scottish shorthand typists. His hobby however was the theatre, and with his actor friends Duncan Macrae and Robert McLellan, he founded the Park Theatre Club in Glasgow in 1941.
When it was forced to close eight years later, he did not give up his dream of theatre owning, and moved to Pitlochry because the peaceful town that straggled along the banks of the river Tummel so impressed him on his first visit that he scrawled a message on a piece of paper and stuck it into a crack in a fence post. His message said that one day he would return and built a theatre there.
He chose his location well because, since Queen Victoria first visited the town in 1842 and was loud in her praise of the town, Pitlochry had been a hub of the tourist trade. A railway line was built to the town 20 years later and hundreds of holiday makers began arriving in its elegant little station every summer.
Because Stewart started building his theatre at a time when it was almost impossible to purchase building materials, he decided to put up a temporary tent to house his productions. The first production was staged in May, 1951, - a play called "Mary the Queen" by Maxwell Anderson with young Joss Acland playing the part of Darnley. During that summer Pitlochry Theatre also put on "Macbeth" and J. M. Barrie's "Mary Rose". Success followed, and in 1981, the doors opened on a new custom built permanent theatre with 544 seats and designed by James Dunbar Naismith. The opening ceremony was performed by Lord Home of the Hirsel on the 30th anniversary of the first show put on in Pitlochry Theatre.
It is still thriving and the slogan "stay six days and see six plays" is still its proud boast. The theatre also holds poetry and literary readings, musical recitals and workshops throughout the year. Details can be found by contacting Pitlochry Theatre at Port-na-Craig, Pitlochry. Telephone 01796484626.
When not in the theatre, visitors can enjoy beautiful walks through unspoilt country where woodpeckers, deer, red squirrels and ospreys can be seen, or take a "wee nip" at the Blair Atholl Distillery which has been turning out top class whisky since 1798, or Edradour which is Scotland?s smallest distillery.
Sleeps: 4, Bedrooms: 2
Right on the shores of lovely Loch Tummel, with fabulous views across the loch, the Steading at Mains of Kynachan comprises two delightful holiday cottages, completely self-contained, with their own private terraces, which can be rented either individually or together. Far from traffic, with games room and tennis court, these are a perfect base for an idyllic family holiday.
Sleeps: 4, Bedrooms: 2
Just 8 miles south west of Pitlochry in the heart of beautiful Highland Perthshire, this sweet little chocolate box terraced farm cottage has the most peaceful and sunny of situations, tucked away up a little lane and well away from traffic. Stylish, cosy and comfortable inside, outside it has its own secluded and enclosed south facing garden, perfect for parents, children and pets.
Sleeps: 4 (5) , Bedrooms: 2
Situated on a farm, high above the valley in historic Killiecrankie, 6 miles north of Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire. Killiecrankie Lodge is an attractive log cabin (even down to its eco-friendly turf roof!). Cosy and comfortable, it is also perfectly placed for touring, walking, fishing, golfing and enjoying the many attractions of this beautiful area.
Sleeps: 4 (6) , Bedrooms: 2
A traditional 'roses round the door' cottage, in a secluded setting at the end of a lane on the edge of the little hamlet of Balnaguard, just north of Dunkeld in beautiful Highland Perthshire, this enchanting cottage is full of character and delightful surprises. Cosy and comfortable, it an unforgettable holiday home.
Sleeps: 6, Bedrooms: 3
Right on the shores of lovely Loch Tummel, with fabulous views across the loch, the Steading at Mains of Kynachan comprises two delightful holiday cottages, completely self-contained, with their own private terraces, which can be rented either individually or together. Far from traffic, with games room and tennis court, these are a perfect base for an idyllic family holiday.
