Where To Next - Pitlochry
BY MURRAY BOTHWELL
5 MIN READ
Leading north from the bustling cities of the Central Belt, the A9 cuts through dense pine forests and bursts out into ancient river valleys where historic houses occasionally reveal themselves from dark green woodlands on their flanks. Ahead, the misty mountains of the Cairngorm ranges break the horizon, where snow can rest all year round and raging torrents tumble over sparkling boulders to reach the sea.
Set against this backdrop, Pitlochry lies on the banks of the River Tummel at the entrance to the National Park, a charming town that is justifiably proud of its Victorian heritage and tourism traditions, and offering visitors much to enjoy. Its decorative wrought-iron covered arcades kept the weather off the 19th century shoppers and now, adorned by colourful hanging baskets in summer, makes a walk along its artisan-filled main street a very pleasant and memorable experience. It is the ideal holiday destination for those who love Scotland's hills and heritage, while its central position and easy accessibility by road, rail and bus make it a perfect touring base for visiting nearby golf courses. And if whiskies are of interest, two long-standing and well-established distilleries are on the outskirts of the town: The Edradour, being the world’s smallest traditional example of its kind and Blair Athol, one of Scotland’s oldest.
Home to the Highland Open, Pitlochry Golf Club’s panorama of pines and rocky crags accentuates their picturesque course, set in the heart of Highland Perthshire. The wind can whistle down the Pass of Killiekrankie and change this calming course into a wind tunnel. Sweeping fairways are punctuated by meandering burns and cleverly positioned sand, its greens well-protected by tightly cut bunkers that quickly gather up any slack approach. There are some slopes to overcome, both up and down, but uphill climbs are rewarded with the sight of manicured greens peeking from behind a ridge, and majestic views over the rugged landscape. Of note is the par-4 fifth hole, Queen Mary’s Rest, where having toyed with an OOB wall up the right your route into the raised green, sat in a forested bowl, is partially-blinded thanks to a large rocky outcrop protecting the green. Played into wind, it’s tougher than its 361 yards suggest. Equally, Cluniemore, the signature par-3 16th, is a spectacular downhill hole with OOB to the right, forest to the left, deep rough and cavernous pot bunkers surrounding the green. Miss the putting surface at your peril. With a great mix of doglegs, blind shots, par-3s and long par-4s, and often bounded by forest and the sound of tumbling water, there’s fewer chances of a birdie on this course than you’d think.
Not far south of Pitlochry are the two courses which make up the challenging Murrayshall Country House Hotel and Golf Club. Whether you stay in the Main House or the Balvaird House there are a delightful selection of rooms to choose from, each decorated to the highest standard and inspired by the beauty of the Perthshire countryside. The Club’s 27-holes and vast driving range are laid out on its gentle Perthshire hillside, overlooking the sweep of the distant Grampian mountains. The larger of the two courses, the Murrayshall, is an idyllic 18-hole championship parkland course that meanders its way around the mature countryside estate, through towering pine trees, rising and falling to offer up a variety of deceptive par-3s, long par-4s and -5s that will test both low and higher handicappers. Golfers are rewarded with the perfect combination of a fascinating layout, impeccable course conditions and stunning panoramic views. Alternatively, the shorter Lynedoch Course is no less beautiful a parkland layout and is ideal for golfers seeking a quicker game. Equally as challenging as its big sister course, it features slightly narrower fairways running through corridors of tall Scots pines, and tempts the golfer on every tee into ditching their safe “reward” play in favour of an exhilarating risk and sending their 300+ dimples soaring into the pine cones. Some of its fairways remind you of what some ski runs might look like without snow, and the joy of seeing your ball sitting there after leaving the tee is highly rewarding. Its memorable opening hole features a very tight dogleg right, where your tee shot demands accurate distance control to set up a short iron across a deep ravine to the tree-framed green. Anything other than a perfect tee shot will block your approach and make a par start to your round incredibly difficult.
You certainly must not bypass one of Perthshire’s jewel in the crown - Blairgowrie Golf Club, home to the Rosemount, Landsdowne and Wee course. The club was founded in 1889 and provides golfers with stunning heathland holes. It has played host to many great championships over the years and was laid out by Dr Alister MacKenzie (of Augusta National fame) and later refined by Peter Alliss, Donald Steel and Graeme Webster. The Wee Course is a rare 9 hole James Braid design that incorporates some of Alister MacKenzie's original holes. Blairgowrie is truly one of Scotland’s best inland experiences.
Take a short drive east to find a further 27 holes at the Strathmore Golf Centre, voted ‘Scotland’s Best Golf Course’ in the £31 - £60 category at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards in 2016, 2017 and 2021. Set in undulating parkland with fantastic views over the Strathmore Valley, it has gained a reputation as ‘The Friendly Place to Play Golf’.
This corner of Perthshire is blessed with stunning backdrops to quality golf courses that make the very best use of the natural landscape and, in return, gives golfers so many reasons to keep coming back to this wonderfully relaxing area.