Easter 2024 – Blair Atholl

This year our accommodation is in the Central Highlands in an area where we have never previously stayed at Easter. Hope you like the background of Atholl tartan!

We have booked two lodges in the extensive grounds of Blair Atholl Castle which together provide 32 bed places. In addition we have booked two  houses on the close-by Lude Estate which together offer another 10 places. This is our normal Easter week which includes Easter Sunday.

Our accommodation is now booked, starting on Saturday (pm) March 30th to Saturday (am) April 6th 2024. 

The numbers that can be accommodated are not constrained by the available bed places but are constrained by our desire to meet and eat together each evening.  See the "Eating Together" section near the end for how we propose to do this.

The range of costs at the end are based on largely filling the available places (with the higher end assuming a few are not).

So PLEASE confirm with a deposit of £250  as soon as you can.
(An email exchange with "regulars" has 39 confrming to come )

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Mountains and other Walks

Mountains 

The head of Glen Tilt beyond Forest Lodge is surrounded by many hills - both Munros and Corbetts. The usual difficulty of climbing these is that they are 7 or 8 miles up the glen adding about 15 miles to a day's walking. Our hire of Forest Lodge (to which we can take cars) knocks about 14 miles off the day!

Beinn a’ Ghlò - Munros This is a huge, complex hill with many ridges, summits and corries. It has such a diversity of flora that it has been declared a SSSI. It covers approximately 15 sq miles and has three Munros:. Càrn Liath (foreground), Bràigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain (left) and Càrn nan Gabhar (right)	Carn a' Chlamain - Munro An "easy" Munro from Forest Lodge (is there such a thing?). The route starts at Forest Lodge where a stalker's path climbs the steep side of the glen in a succession of zig-zags	Beinn Dearg (Blair Atholl) - Munro A remote Munro totally hidden from any road.. A trail starts from Old Blair and is about 30km return. Over half of this is possible by bike as far as the habitable bothy at Allt Sheicheachan (pictured).An alternative approach is from House of Bruar via the falls (similar ditance).
Beinn Bhreac - Corbett A real challenge! Extremely remote this is reachable up Glen Bruar and could be an extention to a day on and beyond Beinn Dearg (above).25 miles.  It lies south of Carn nan Fhidhleir (one of 2 remote Munros a long way up from Glen Dee)	Leathad an Taobhain - Corbett Possibly an even greater chllenge. Leathad an Taobhain has 2 summits; the LH one being 10m higher. This s one of the highest Corbetts and most remote. It is reachable up Glen Bruar as well as up Glen Feshie from which the picture is taken. The summit to the left is Beinn Bhreac	Beinn Mheadhonach - Corbett A nice easy Corbett. Reached from Glen Tilt by a track heading north up Glean Mairc just below Marble Lodge. (cross to the north bank of Glen Tilt there)

Meall Tairneachan - Corbett South of the A9 and this area is close-by Blair Atholl via the turning to Loch Tummel. This Corbett lies south of the Loch and reached from its western end.  A baryte mine is located close to its summit.

Corbett -Farragon Hill This Corbett  is in the same area as Meall Tairneachan and is accessed from the minor road to the south of Loch Tummel. Viewed from Schiehallion

Schiehallion and others The road along Loch Tummel ends at Rannoch Station. On the way it passes Schiehallion. Famous for the invention of contour lines, this Munro lies in a complex geography of many Munros and lower hills

Low Level Walks & Cycles

A 1.5 hour trip on Loch Tay costs around £40. Available 7 days a week from the end of March – October. https://www.highlandsafaris.net/lochtaysafaris/ Sea sickness isn't a guranteed feature!	Corrour Station - Britains's highest mainline station Take an approximately 11am train to Corrour from Rannoch Station to explore Loch Ossian or even the odd Munro.
BLAIR CASTLE GARDENS Laid out within the 18th Century, the Gardens at Blair Castle feature a nine-acre walled garden, a wooded grove, gothic folly, a kirk ruin, and extensive deer park. Hercules Garden is a nine-acre walled garden that has been restored to its original Georgian design. Named after the life-sized statue of Hercules which overlooks the garden, it incorporates landscaped ponds, a folly, a Chinese bridge and an authentic orchard of more than 100 fruit trees. The glory of this garden in summer is the herbaceous borders that run along the 275m south-facing wall.	BLAIR CASTLE  Open 10am to 5pm daily
CLUNY HOUSE GARDENS Near Aberfeldy (down the A9 south of Pitlochry).Open every day 9am to 6pm. Cluny is one of the sites included in the Perthshire Big Tree Country Heritage and Access project

ACCOMMODATION

FOREST LODGE (also see map at top for the wider view)

Forest Lodge is 8 miles up Glen Tilt on a good but unsurfaced estate road. 

Located on the banks of the River Tilt and surrounded by steep hills, Forest Lodge is perfect for a week’s escape and is an ideal base for stalking, fishing, walking, cycling, mountaineering or a special family celebration. Salmon fishing on Beat 4 of River Tilt, which flows by the lodge, is exclusively available to lodge guests. The lodge was renovated to the highest standard in 2021 and retains a loving loyal list of regular families that return every year. The lodge is accessible up a eight-mile private track that follows the river Tilt up from Blair Atholl.

Forest Lodge has the capacity to sleep up to 20 people in 11 bedrooms along with a spacious drawing room with a large bay window facing south down the glen and an open fire. There is a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room and a second sitting room. Pictures of the kitchen have been requested and will be provided after the busy shooting season. 

Included in your stay, guests receive free access to Blair Castle & Gardens.

Rooms

Ground Floor Drawing room with open fire Dining room with open fire Sitting room with open fire Fully equipped kitchen with Aga, modern gas-fired range and dish-washer, Utility room with fridge-freezers Larder Gun room Drying room Laundry room with washing machine and tumble-dryer Bins & Fuel store Double bed room (Duchess) Double bed room (Duke's) Bathroom with "Access bath", toilet etc Study (small) Toilet with sink

Click an image to down load a pdf

First Floor Kingsize bed room with ensuite (Flower) Kingsize bed room with ensuite (Beinn) Kingsize bed room with ensuite (Bow) Kingsize bed room with shared facilities (Tartan) Twin bed room with shared facilities (Quilt) Shared facilities: Room with toilet & sink + Room with toilet,sink & bath Up separate stairs: Twin bed room with shared facilities (Railway) Twin bed room with shared facilities (Glen) Single bed room with shared facilities (Cooks) Shared facilities: Room with toilet,sink & bath

Pets
         Dogs only on ground floor on non-carpeted areas

Facilities / Included
          Electricity included
          Logs  Initial bags included 
          Bed linen &  Towels included 
          Wifi
          Fishing "Beat 4" usually goes with the Lodge
         

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OLD BLAIR (see map at top for the wider view)

Set in a hamlet a few hundred yards from Blair Castle & Gardens, Old Blair started life as an inn. It is now a comfortable lodge surrounded by landscaped parklands, farmland and miles of way-marked trails. The lodge is filled with period charm and has an open fire in the sitting room. The lodge is the building with 5 first floor windows (the building to its right is further back)

Sleeping up to ten guests in the main lodge, and two in the connecting annexe with its own separate sitting room; Old Blair is popular for family breaks, castle wedding guests and festive family gatherings.

Old Blair’s garden runs into the ruins of St. Brides Kirk and from there you can continue walking into Diana’s Grove, Hercules Garden or up into the hills of the Cairngorm National Park. Included in your stay, guests receive free access to Blair Castle & Gardens..

 
 

Rooms 

Ground Floor Dining room  Sitting room TV room Kitchen  Utility room  Twin bed room with ensuite (shower)
First Floor Double bed room with ensuite  Double bed room with shared facilities Single bed room with shared facilities Shared facilities: Room with toilet,sink & bath
2nd Floor Twin bed room with shared facilities Twin bed room with shared facilities Single bed room with shared facilities Shared facilities: Room with toilet,sink & bath	C

Facilities / included
Bathroom with toilet, wash basin and shower cubicle. 
Oil central heating. 
Electric oven and hob, microwave
Fridge, 
Washer/dryer, 
TV with Freeview, 
Wi-Fi, 
Fuel and power inc. in rent. 
Bed linen and towels 

Dogs
No pets      

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LUDE ESTATE COTTAGES at Tom of Lude

The  Woolstore

    

This cottage is beautifully finished and very spacious. On the ground floor, the expansive living room has double doors leading to the patio with garden furniture and a shed for bicycles. There are two comfortable sofas and chairs, a coffee table and a modern flat screen TV with 'Freeview' channels and DVD Player.  The views from the patio windows over Blair Castle and the Cairngorms National Park are stunning and with the room facing south east the sun floods this room from midday until late evening. There is also a good clavinova in this room for the more musical people of the family!

Rooms

Ground Floor

Living room with double doors leading to the patio
Kitchen - diner
Twin bedroom
Bathroom with shower, toilet and wash basin.

First Floor

Double bed room 

Twin bed room

Bathroom with bath, separate shower, toilet and wash basin.

Facilities / included
Modern electric oven & microwave 
Dishwasher 
fridge freezer,. 
Washing machine and dryer
Old fashioned football table, 
TV with Freeview, 
Wi-Fi, 
Hydroelectricity. 
Ground Source heating. 
Patio with garden furniture. 
Shed for bicycles. 
Bed linen and towels 

Dogs
Downstairs only

The  Byre

    

The Byre is a holiday cottage with one double bedroom and one twin bedroom. The entrance leads to a well equipped farmhouse style kitchen. If renting more than one property, this cottage is ideal for group entertaining given the open plan living area.

 

Rooms

Ground Floor

Open plan living room, Kitchen, Diner
There are 2 steps up into the kitchen
Twin bedroom

Double bed room 

Bathroom (adjacent to the bedrooms), bath with shower, toilet and wash basin..

Facilities / included
Modern electric oven & microwave 
Dishwasher 
Fridge 
small separate freezer,. 
Washing machine and dryer
TV with Freeview, 
Wi-Fi, 
Hydroelectricity. 
Ground Source heating. 
Patio with garden furniture. 
Shed for bicycles. 
Bed linen and towels 

Dogs
Not known

In addition to this there is the cost of transport i.e.:

         Hire cars and their fuel
         Fuel for private cars
         Flights /trains etc to Scotland