3984 <p><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> Butterflies opened in June 2013. We are located between the Village Hall and the Atholl Arms hotel in the beautiful village of Blair Atholl, just off the A9, in Highland Perthshire. We stock a varied selection of contemporary gifts, along with home fragrance, handcrafted jewellery and children's toys and books. Stop by for a browse and a chat - we promise you a warm welcome.</span></p> 1819 <div>Highland Perthshire has some of the most remarkable trees, woodlands and country gardens in Europe and is the place to be during Year of Natural Scotland.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><iframe width="100%" max-width="500" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hDfH6CgJ6fM?rel=0&amp;autoplay=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div> 1603 <div><strong>Atholl Estates Ranger Service</strong> assists visitors in their understanding and enjoyment of the area and also plays a role in countryside education and conservation. The Estates extend beyond Glen Bruar and Glen Tilt in the north to Dunkeld and Birnam in the south and cover 58,000 hectares.<br /><br />Visit their website for information about their busy events diary, including guided walks and nature rambles, some of which are especially for children. The website also displays up-to-date access information for walkers visiting Atholl Estates, and they publish a range of printed material, including walking and cycling routes.<br /><br />The Ranger Service can be contacted all year round by telephone or e-mail. The Atholl Estates Ranger Service Information Centre in Blair Atholl is open from April to October, 9.00 am to 4.45 pm, with staff available from 9.00 to 10.00 am and 3.30 to 4.45 pm.<br /><br /><strong>Tractor Tours</strong><br />Experience the works of Blair Castle's Home Farm on a trailer ride tour, pulled by a farm tractor. Fun for all the family, the tour will take in the managed landscape and farm buildings surrounding Blair Castle.<br /><br /><strong>Land Rover Tours</strong><br />Take a Dawn or Dusk Land Rover Tour into the hills with one of the Estates experienced game-keepers and see the stunning landscape bathed in morning light and mist. Listen to the sounds of the dawn chorus and have the opportunity to see wildlife including black grouse, red deer, birds of prey and red squirrels in their natural habitats.<br /><br /><strong>Wildlife</strong><br />Atholl Estates covers a vast area and wildlife is in abundance, but here's a small insight to what you might see on a day out...<br /><br />For the quiet and observant visitor the estates hosts many miles of waymarked trails to help you discover the wildlife of this working landscape. In the woods, red squirrels are common, with grey squirrels only being found at the southern end of the estate around Dunkeld. Try walking our Red Squirrel Trail for a good chance of seeing one. Otters, Dippers, Wagtails and Salmon can all be seen down at the riverside.&nbsp; Higher up in the moors and mountains, Red Deer, Golden Eagles, Red Grouse, Ptarmigan, Hen Harriers, Merlin and Osprey can all be seen. There is also a wide diversity of interesting upland plant species.<br /><br /><strong>A snippet of the seasons...</strong><br />Springtime is a seen of delicate anemones and wood sorrel, brash bluebells and pungent wild garlic carpet the woods but enjoy them before they disappear without a trace.<br /><br />Summer is the time to see the beautiful butterflies and dramatic dragonflies. The evenings are a great time to see the Pipistrelle Bats in woodland clearings, respect them as they eat thousands of midges every night!<br /><br />The colours of Autumn are enhanced by the wide variety of species planted on the estate which give an array of reds, oranges and golds. This is the time of the red deer rut, the sound of stags roaring echoes round the hills and glens. Stags will vye for harems of hinds, continually challenging each other by roaring and if necessary fighting. <br /><br dir="ltr" spellcheck="false" id="tinymce" class="mceContentBody mceContentReset" onload="window.parent.tinyMCE.get('mce_fullscreen').onLoad.dispatch();" contenteditable="true" />Winter sees the arrival of the Greylag geese from the far north. They come to the fields, where they graze on the grass. Whooper swans, which have a yellow and black beak, will also spend winter on the ponds and lochs on Atholl Estates.<br /><br /></div> <!-- Start of StatCounter Code for Default Guide --> <script type="text/javascript">var sc_project=8425239; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_security="e2e0a55d"; var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://secure." : "http://www."); document.write("<sc"+"ript type='text/javascript' src='" + scJsHost + "statcounter.com/counter/counter.js'></"+"script>");</script> <noscript> <div class="statcounter"><a title="web stats" href="http://statcounter.com/" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="https://c.statcounter.com/8425239/0/e2e0a55d/1/" alt="web stats" /></a></div> </noscript><!-- End of StatCounter Code for Default Guide --> 1606 <div>For over 700 years, Blair Castle has acted as gatekeeper to the Scottish Highlands.&nbsp; Today, its turbulent history and its strategic role is in the past - yet, as one of Scotland's best-known visitor attractions, it still introduces many thousands of visitors to the Highlands each year.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Its setting in the Strath of Garry remains magnificent and its white, turreted facade seems to sum up all that people expect of a traditional Scottish castle.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Castle Tour and Gardens</strong></div> <div>Blair Castle is the seat of the Dukes of Atholl and home to the Atholl Highlanders, Britain's only private army. With some thirty treasure-filled rooms to see, extensive parklands - including Diana's Grove and the restored Hercules Garden - woodland and riverside walks, restaurant and gift shop, Blair Castle makes an ideal day out for all the family.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Entertaining and Activities</strong></div> <div>Blair Castle makes an ideal venue for Highland Balls, dinners and corporate entertaining. Shooting, fishing and pony trekking is available on the estate.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Activities inside Blair Castle for Children</strong></div> <div>Take part in the children's Castle Detectives Challenge, use the picture clues provided. Children have to hunt down castle treasures and work out the answers. Parents may also be allowed to join in! The activity sheet is collected in the Castle Entrance Hall and takes children around the castle room by room. There is a children's colouring area in our Treasure Room where children can get creative and their parents can concentrate on the vast array of exhibits.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><a href="http://www.highlandperthshire.org/allhpevents/blairevents/3029-Blair-Castle-and-Atholl-Estates" target="_blank">Click here for a list of Blair Castle events</a></div> <div><a href="http://www.highlandperthshire.org/allhpevents/blairevents/2093-Atholl-Estates-Rangers" target="_blank">Click here for a list of Atholl Estates Rangers events</a></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <!-- Start of StatCounter Code for Default Guide --><noscript> <div class="statcounter"><a title="web stats" href="http://statcounter.com/" target="_blank"> <img class="statcounter" src="https://c.statcounter.com/8425239/0/e2e0a55d/1/" alt="web stats" /> </a></div> </noscript><!-- End of StatCounter Code for Default Guide --> 1607 <div>The Good Old Days<br /><br />We invite you to come and visit our unique and lively museum. It is fun for children, informative and entertaining for all. You can explore the heritage created by previous generations and see how we once lived in Atholl.<br />Fascinating Displays<br /><br />* Old Kitchen &amp; Box Bed<br /><br />* The School, Kirk &amp; Smiddy<br /><br />* 1930's Post office<br /><br />* Caledonian Shield for Rifle Shooting, the World's Largest Trophy!<br /><br />* Outstanding Horse Harness<br /><br />* Road &amp; Rail Services<br /><br />* Gamekeeper &amp; Wildlife<br /><br />* The Doctor's Horse Sleigh<br /><br />Children<br /><br />Children can sit in the old school desk, examine the objects in the Kiddies Kist, play with the zoetrope or try the quiz and win an award!<br /><br />Displays<br /><br />The Museum has three Galleries containing a total of twenty eight displays together with the recreated Trinafour Post Office.&nbsp;<br /><br /><br /></div>