Loch Tummel 2025 - A Spring Break in Sunny Scotland
In the last week of March, 24 members of Trav 2 joined other travellers from across Suffolk on a Lochs and Glens holiday. After a very early start we were driven northwards through England and into Scotland. Luckily the 12 hour journey was punctuated with reasonable stops to allow us to stretch our legs and refuel our bodies and we arrived at our hotel in time to settle into our rooms before the evening meal. The hotel sits on the banks of Loch Tummel and all rooms seemed to have impressive views of the lake.
The next day we were taken to Blair Atholl and to visit Blair Castle. The castle is spectacular with an entrance hall displaying a lot of weapons from its battles and hunting past. We had a short history of the castles 700 year old history and the fascinating story of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl, before being allowed to explore the many rooms which were open to the public. The castle was still being readied for its full opening so there were some rooms which were shut and unfortunately the gardens were closed as well.
St Andrews was the destination for the following day and meant a long coach journey to get there. The town was bustling with golfers, tourists and of course students, and we had time to wander round the medieval streets, visit the harbour and battlements and have some lunch and a choice of over 50 delicious ice creams.
We had been very lucky with the weather so far but the next day it rained. Luckily we were in the coach for a visit to Royal Deeside and as the journey progressed through the Cairngorms National Park the rain really set in and partially obscured the spectacular mountain scenery. Brief stops at Braemar and Ballater gave a flavour of the Scottish Highland villages which are beloved of the Royal families both past and present.
On the final day in Scotland the destinations were closer to the hotel and included visits to Aberfeldy, Crieff and Pitlochry. Free time at each town allowed exploration of each one, including the amazing views of the Falls of Moness, the medieval roots of Crieff and finally Pitlochry with its quaint architecture, beautiful scenery beside the River Tay and having crossed the river we were able to inspect the Salmon ladder and also watch fishermen enjoying their sport, standing in waders in the river.
Back to the hotel for the final evening and then another early start as we set off on the return journey home. It was an interesting and enjoyable break but did involve a lot of time in the coach throughout the week and most of us thought it would have been nice to have more time at the hotel and be able to walk around some of Loch Tummel's seven miles of banks. Unfortunately this wouldn't have been possible as much of the land was privately owned and there was no access. We arrived back in Bury St Edmunds in the early evening.
