Ben Vrackie
You can find the ingredients for the perfect Scottish winter day out on the slopes of Ben Vrackie, promises Kirstie Shirra.
Acracker of a small peak, yet less than two hours by train from Glasgow or Edinburgh, Ben Vrackie offers a perfect escape for those needing to get out on a winter walk.
Located in beautiful Highland Perthshire, Ben Vrackie dominates the skyline above Pitlochry. Its fine paths lead you to the top of one of the best viewpoints in the southern Highlands with bigger neighbour Beinn A’ Ghlo dominating the skyline to the north and the Strath Tay valley spread out to the south.
The route up it though starts and ends in the pretty village of Moulin on the outskirts of Pitlochry. While there has been a settlement at Moulin as far back as the Bronze Age, with archaeologists dating ancient hut circles in the area from as far back as 3000BC, it is its inn that it is most famous for.
Opened in 1695, over the years the Moulin Inn has catered to villagers, drovers and those stopping off at the Moulin staging post. When the railway line to Pitlochry was finished in 1870s, it became a popular destination for tourists. People travelled from towns and cities to take in the so-called ‘hydropathic airs’ of Highland Perthshire. Today it makes the perfect place to end a wintry walk with its cosy fireside seats and on-site brewery.
And if all if that isn’t plenty of enticement enough, there is also the Edradour Distillery just a mile and half along the road. Scotland’s smallest traditional distillery, the Edradour has handmade single malt whisky since 1825. The opportunity to have a post-walk winter warmer could make taking the train a good bet!