The Central Highlands.

The region (south-)west of Pitlochry is covered with forests and lochs. To the northwest a number of lochs provide electricity for Scotland (and England). In this chapter you'll find: Loch Tay and surroundings, Loch Tummel and surroundings, Pitlochry and surroundings, Loch Rannoch and surroundings, and the daytrip Tummel Bridge, Loch Tay, Crianlarich, Appin, Loch Leven and Kinlochleven, Fort William, Spean Bridge, Dalwhinnie.

Loch Tay and surroundings.

Loch Tay is about 15 miles long, the two biggest villages are situated on both sides of the loch. Killin (regional map) lies on the westside, where the river Dochart via lots of little waterfalls empties itself in Loch Tay. A walk in Killin passes a "crannog", this is a rebuilt watercabin from the beginning of the era.

The road along the north shore of Loch Tay to Kenmore passes Ben Lawers, where a Visitor Centre is built with lots of information about the local nature (many alpine flowers) and local walks.

A bit further and a few miles off the road along Loch Tay, Fortingall, with the oldest tree of Europe in its cemetary (estimated age is about 3000 years), is situated.
Kenmore has a 9-hole golfcourse (no license needed), and lots of watersport facilities at the south shore of Loch Tay. The single-track back to Killin along the south shore is worth taking because of several viewpoints.
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Loch Tummel and surroundings.

Beside the road from Pitlochry to Tummel Bridge (or Kinloch Rannoch) along the north shore of Loch Tummel you'll find the Queen's vieuw.

In the 19th Century Queen Victoria travelled around Scotland, and because she admired Loch Tummel from this point, a Visitor Centre was built here.

A few miles further a typical Scottish house with a telephone box in front of it. The combination of the colours is surprising.

In Tummel Bridge (regional map) the old packhorse bridge is still present, but right next to it another bridge was built with sight on oncoming vehicles. Another power station stands here, and Tummel Bridge also houses a big family-holidaypark. The road along the south shore of Loch Tummel is single track, quiet and beautiful.

Every now and then a fence needs to be opened (don't forget to close it, otherwise the cattle might be looking for better food at the neighbouring farm).
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Pitlochry and surroundings.

Pitlochry is a town with a lot of shopping-possibilities, and with the "salmon ladder" (because of the dam), through which, by way of an alternative route, the salmons can get to their spawning grounds. They normally jump over the waterfalls. Built above the ladder, the exhibition shows the journey of the salmon and also the way of exciting electricity, a load of pipelines from several lochs, lead through power stations, produces a lot of electricity, partly exported to England.
In Bell's whisky-distillery you can take part in a guided excursion; a few miles north of Pitlochry is the Visitor Centre of Killiecrankie, close to it a brave soldier once took a giant leap to get rid of his chasers (when you see the distance, believe it or not....). From the Visitor Centre you can take a lot of walks; nice to see os the four-stock infrastructure, the old footpath on which you are walking, above it the old railroad, then the old road and at last the new-built dual carriage road.
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Loch Rannoch and surroundings.

From Kinloch Rannoch the road takes you via de north shore of Loch Rannoch to Rannoch Station. Just before the end of Loch Rannoch another power station generates electricity through water from Loch Ericht. People say that the tiny island nearby the power station is connected with the shore by a subterraneous passage. After leaving the loch, Rannoch Moor comes into sight, a desolate swamp area. On the way to Rannoch Station the cattle is freely grazing around with their youngsters.

Rannoch Station, between Glasgow and Mallaig

The single-track along the south shore of Loch Rannoch is loved by bikers, mountainbikers and walkers.
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The trip Tummel Bridge, Loch Tay, Crianlarich, Appin, Loch Leven and Kinlochleven, Fort William, Spean Bridge, Dalwhinnie.

Drive from Tummel Bridge via Killin through a forest-rich and mountainous environment to Crianlarich. In Taynuilt the old iron-quarry "Bonawe", rebuilt to its former state, is worth a visit. Loch Creran had to be rounded for a long time, but the old railroad bridge has been converted and open to traffic since '99. On the picture is Creran Inn at sunset.

After passing Appin, Castle Stalker, famous for Mony Python's "The Holy Grale", comes into sight.

Allthough a bridge crosses Loch Leven, it is highly recommended to take the road to Kinlochleven. The road around the loch was built by German prisoners of war during the first world war (the "Great War") and climbs and descends with stunning views.
In Kinlochleven there's an exhibition near the aluminiumworks, that gets its huge need for electricity from water that comes from the Blackwater Reservoir.

six pipes supply the water

Fort William is the second biggest city of the Highlands, and tourist industry flowers as never before (there is a MacDonalds!). A bit further "Neptune's Staircase" starts the "Caledonian Canal", the connection from the Atlantic Ocean, through the "Great Glenn" in which Loch Ness lies, to the North Sea.
Drive to the east in Spean Bridge, the road along Loch Laggan is built high. From Dalwhinnie onwards the landscape is barren, but after the branch Dalnacardoch the trees return, all the way back to Tummel Bridge.
The trip can be finished in one (long) day.
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