Queen's View Visitor Centre

The view from Queen's View, perched above Pitlochry, stops you dead. On a clear day you can see right down Loch Tummel with the distant peaks of the Grampians layering into the horizon - it's the sort of vista that makes you understand why Queen Victoria herself stood here and declared it worth remembering. The visitor centre sits at the vantage point itself, which means you don't have to choose between the view and a cup of tea.

It's essentially a proper lookout with interpretation panels explaining what you're actually looking at - useful if you can't quite place Ben Lawers or want to know what's happening geologically with the landscape below. The centre gives context without being heavy-handed about it, and there's enough information to keep history buffs engaged for twenty minutes or so.

Walkers get the most from this spot. You're already at one of Perthshire's most famous vantage points, and the area around Pitlochry has serious trail infrastructure if you want to explore further - Faskally Woods Holiday Park is only three miles away if you're basing yourself locally. Summer mornings are best; by afternoon the midges can be tiresome, and winter can mean cloud cover that swallows the whole panorama.

Allow an hour if you're stopping properly - longer if you want to walk one of the paths branching off from the centre. It's the sort of place that justifies a detour if you're in Pitlochry, but doesn't warrant a special trip on its own. Go in combination with Blair Castle or a walk around Loch Tummel and you've got a decent half-day.