Page 269 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

bothy (hut) and a rural
post office.
The Drive » Join the main
A9 Inverness to Perth road and
follow it south for 35 miles to
CHRIS PETTY/ 500PX ©
Blair Atholl, passing through
bleak mountain scenery and
climbing to a high point of 460m
at the Pass of Drumochter
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
9 Blair Atholl
The village of Blair Atholl
dates only from the early
19th century, built by the
Duke of Atholl, head of
the Murray clan, whose
seat – magnificent Blair GREAT BRITAIN 19 ROYAL HIGHLANDS & CAIRNGORMS
Castle (%01796-481207;
www.blair-castle.co.uk; adult/
child £10.70/6.40, family
£28.90; h9.30am-5.30pm
Easter-Oct, 10am-4pm Sat &
Sun Nov-Mar; pc) – is
one of the most popular
tourist attractions in
Scotland.
Thirty rooms are open
to the public and they
present a wonderful
picture of upper-class
Highland life from the
16th century on. The
original tower was built
in 1269, but the castle
underwent significant
remodelling in the 18th
and 19th centuries.
Highlights include the
2nd-floor Drawing Room
with its ornate Georgian
plasterwork and Zoffany
portrait of the 4th duke’s
family, complete with a
pet lemur (yes, you read
that correctly) called
Tommy; and the Tapes-
try Room draped with

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