Pitlochry, Potter, and Piping Centre

Pitlochry – Surrounded by the pine-forested hills of the central Highlands, Pitlochry became a famous town after Queen Victoria described it as one of the finest resorts in Europe.  I haven’t travelled all over Europe, but I have to agree that I absolutely fell in love with this town during our several days there. We got to see the wild salmon leap up the ladder built into the Power Station Dam on their way to spawning grounds up the river. We also enjoyed a brilliant standard fare of fish and chips, savored chocolate frogs for dessert (just like any self respecting Harry Potter fan would!), perused beautiful shops including the Heathergems headquarters I mentioned with the letter “H” post, stayed at the Atholl Palace Hotel I mentioned with the letter “A” post, and visited both the Blair Castle I mentioned in my letter “B” post, and a distillery I mentioned in my “D” post.

Potter – Beatrix Potter’s family regularly rented Dalguise House in Perthshire . "Picture letters" written by Beatrix while at Dalguise are usually regarded as the first drafts of her later books "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" and "The Tale of Jeremy Fisher". Another book, "The tale of Mrs Tiggy Winkle", which was published in 1905, is thought to have been based on the washer woman at Dalguise, Kitty MacDonald. While we did pass by the place, and our tour guide shared some information about her, I’m sad to say we did not have the time to stop and explore the area. I hope to return one day because the place looks like such beautiful fun: http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/dunkeld/beatrixpotter/  If you’re a Potter fan, and would like to learn about other places she stayed in the UK, visit:  https://beatrixpottersociety.org.uk/places-to-visit/

Piping Centre  - another location I wish I had time to explore is the Piping Centre in Glasgow. This location opened its doors in a refurbished church in 1996, and aims to promote the study and history of piping in Scotland. It offer tuition at all levels, and houses the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PIPING, which traces the development of the instrument.

As a thank-you to the blogging community, and to celebrate one year since its publication, I am offering FREE e-pub copies of my western short story “Broken Angel” from now through April 30. If you would like to receive a copy, simply email me at writinginwonderland(at)gmail(dot)com