Scotland: Bannockburn, Blair Atholl Gathering & Pitlochry
(May 2024) - Part 3. For Part 1 of this series on Edinburgh, see this blog post. For Part 2 of this series on Culross, Falkirk, and Loch Lomond see this blog post.
For my next leg, I depart the dreamy studio on Loch Lomond and head north to the highlands with a few stops along the way. Before I get too far along, I plan to stay a couple nights in Pitlochry while attending the highland games and visit some more must-see locations.
Bannockburn
On the outskirts of Stirling is the interpretation center and grounds for the Battle of Bannockburn. If you are into Scots/English history and are familar with the legend of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, then this is a must-see! I have been to Stirling before and toured the impressive castle there, but I had missed visiting the battlefield Bannockburn and it's been on my list for quite some time. I grew up watching period piece dramas, and even Braveheart played a special role in shaping my obsession with Scotland.
Now, the visitor center is under a major renovation and is currently closed with a planned re-opening in mid-2028.
I can't speak into what will be after the renovations are complete, but I can share with you what I experienced. The docent-led tour is a complete experience. You can interact with characters representing various points of view that are projected on screens. The docent takes you to the battle room where we stand around a table with battlefield plans to talk you through the lead up to the battle, the battle itself and aftermath. Then, you are guided to a room surrounded with floor to ceiling screens with both sides of the battle re-enactment on either ends, and at the center there are several spears and weaponry to interact with - incredibly immersive. This room makes you feel as if you are dropped in the center of the active battle. The visitor center also has a cafe with beverages, pastries and light lunch options, and of course, a well fitted gift shop.
I found a quaint flat in the village of Pitlochry - a town known as the gateway to the Cairngorms National Park. I stayed in Pitlochry on my first trip to Scotland in 2015 and fell in love with the area. I had stayed one night in Atholl Palace Hotel as a final treat before heading back into Edinburgh for my departure. But this time, I wanted to stay in a cozy Airbnb and use it as a hub to venture out for some planned activities.
The flat is still an active Airbnb. You can check out the listing here. I also posted a TikTok video of my stay. It had everything I needed and more - a full kitchen, dining room, lounge, bedroom, movie den and full bath. It was furnished beautifully and very much similar to my own style, so it felt like 'home'. Evelyn was a fantastic host and you can tell she puts a lot of love and attention to her home.
The next morning I headed out to Blair Castle for the annual Blair Atholl Gathering and Highland Games. It was a bit treacherous with the weather, so I held out for about 4 hours in the pouring rain when I decided it was time to get back to the Airbnb to warm up and dry off. Attending highland games is part of my childhood growing up in Southern California and going on the games circuit with my dad who played the bagpipes. So, it's been on my list to experience the games in the motherland. The games did not disappoint with athletes tossing the caber, running the kilted mile, or dancing, and hundreds of musicians playing the pipes and drums to be heard miles away. I finished the stay with a steaming hot meat pasty in the car before heading back to the flat.
For dinner, i wanted to treat myself by making a return visit to Atholl Palace Hotel. It sits on top of the hillside overlooking the village of Pitlochry with with impressive victorian structure and manicured landscape. I sat in the bar area which was warm and cozy and felt as if I was in a hunter's grand lodge with leather furniture, covered walls and warm lighting. I opted for the perfectly cooked surf & turf with the most gorgous prawns perfect cooked and sitting on top of a grilled steak, fries and onions.
Time to head back to the Airbnb and enjoy a cozy evening watching British tv and packing for my continuing adventures.
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