Tourists rush through doors of Pitlochry dam
The story behind a new book on the proud history of the Black Watch is to be told at Balhousie Castle next month.
Victoria Schofield, author of ‘The Black Watch, Fighting in the Front Line 1899-2006’ the second in a two-part volume on its history will lecture on September 12.
She will be highlighting some of the moving stories which have helped to make story of the Black Watch come to life through the words of officers and men as revealed in their diaries, letters and memoirs.
For this volume she has also been able to include the recollections of more than 100 veterans.
And she will also explain how she managed to cram the extensive history into the 600-page volume and why she believes it is so important for regimental history to be preserved.
Other fascinating discussion points will cover how she came to gather her sources, including sifting through the extensive archives for the Black Watch.
Book for the lecture, which starts at 6.30pm, on 01738 638152. Prices are £9 for non-members, £7 for friends. A new Perthshire visitor centre is fast approaching 100,000 people through its doors, having only opened in early 2017.
SSE’s Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre opened its doors to the public for the first time in January with a goal of 88,000 visitors in the first year.
However, in just its first six months, the centre has already welcomed 75,000 visitors through its doors.
The centre, free to enter, showcases the great engineering achievementss of early hydro projects, the benefits to society of bringing power to the glens and the incredible story of how salmon navigate their way through SSE’s dams and fish ladders.
UK Government Minister Lord Duncan, who joined a recent tour of the centre, is delighted with the centre’s success, but is far from surprised.
“It is heartening to see SSE continue to invest strongly in Pitlochry. The new visitor centre - only seven months old - is already proving to be a serious attraction in its own right, drawing visitors from all over Scotland, the UK and beyond.
As the UK continues to confront the challenges of climate change, it is good to know that innovations are taking place right in the heart of Perthshire.”
SSE Head of Heritage, Gillian O’Reilly, is over the moon with the reception the centre has received.
She said: “The first six months have been amazing. The visitor numbers are beating all expectations and we’re on course to surpass our full year target by the end of the month.”
The centre teaches visitors about renewable energy Left: The £4m visitor centre opened earlier this year but it’s proved a hit with tourists.