Ballentoul

Hotel, restaurant & bar in Blair Atholl

Now closed and being redeveloped.

I didn't notice it at the time, but some of the big rocks on the left have a strange likeness to that holey cheese you get, mostly seen in cartoons. The picture was taken from a well-trodden footpath that runs in between the river and the road between Blair Atholl and Bridge of Tilt. Having not got very far with my research into the name 'Tilt' (which is still the case), I decided to see if there were any titbits of information in the OS naming books, but oddly nothing was listed. I therefore thought that the river may have gone by a Gaelic name on the initial maps, as it does further upstream. It turns out, however, that several of the exhaustive volumes, which all would have described in varying detail every named feature on the first OS maps round here, were destroyed when the OS headquarters in Southampton was a victim of heavy German bombing in the Second World War. During the Southampton Blitz, in November and December 1940, hundreds of tons of bombs were dropped on the city - the glow of the flames could apparently be seen from across the Channel. Only the books from Scotland, Northumberland, Cumbria, and some of Durham survived. This geographical split is quite intriguing. It seems unlikely to be a coincidence, and it must be a possibility that OS loosely split Britain into two, storing the records for each half in different parts of the building. Maybe somebody had been referencing North Perthshire in the wrong part of the building the day the bombs were dropped. It would be interesting to know. The River Tilt flows into the River Garry a mile or so South of here, and starts roughly 15 miles to the NorthEast. Some of the water runs from the small Loch Tilt, but there are other headwaters in the vicinity of the loch too.

This church was built 1823-1825. It has an 18" bell made by John Meikle of Edinburgh in 1688. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert once attended a service here in 1844.

This church has an 18"bell made in 1688 by John Meikle of Edinburgh. Built 1823-1825. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert once attended a church service here. It is situated 35 miles north of Perth and is very near to Blair Castle.

This church is situated about 35 miles north of Perth. Blair Castle is very close by. In 1844 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert once attended a church service here.

This church built 1823-1825 is situated about 35 miles north of Perth and very near to Blair Castle. In 1844 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert one attended a service in this church.

Situated in the car park beside Blair Atholl and Struan Church and the Bowling Club.

This chap was tending the immaculate bowling green in this beautiful setting at Blair Atholl.

The A9 is a strategic link between the Highlands of Scotland and the Central Belt. It runs 279 miles from junction 5 of the M9 at Polmont to Scrabster. Originally it ran from Edinburgh. Link

Lodges and static caravans sitting beside the River Tilt.

Just down from the Old Bridge, a few minutes away from a busy car park, is this splendid and peaceful rocky basin with the River Tilt in marvellous colours.

View down River Tilt, with the lodges of the River Tilt Park on the left.