Day Trip to Blair Castle in Scotland, an Autumn Wonderland

Blair Castle is surely beautiful in all seasons but there’s something special about it in autumn.

I visited Blair Castle in October after searching for the best autumn castle in Scotland. Well, Google, you were right, because Blair Castle is absolutely amazing in the fall, an autumn wonderland.

It fulfilled all my autumn Scottish dreams, and the best part was that it often seemed we had the place to ourselves (no crowds for the win).

Is Blair Castle on your radar when visiting Scotland? Here’s why it should be.

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About Blair Castle

Blair Castle is a 750-year-old castle, home to the Atholl family for over seven centuries.

This family owns over 120,000 acres in the area, so you will see their family name everywhere.

And while the castle is interesting, the real star of visiting Blair Castle is its incredible gardens and woodlands.

You’ll see sheep and hairy coos grazing in the fields, golden leaves falling from the trees, and a walled garden that is too stunning for words.

girl standing in front of Blair Castle, a white-washed castle in Scots baronial style — Blair Castle

sheep grazing on green grass with Blair Castle in the background — Blair Castle

Quick Facts about Visiting Blair Castle

Location: Blair Atholl, Pitlochry, Perthshire PH18 5TL
Months Open: April-October
Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (Last entry at 3:45 p.m.)
Cost: £18.75 for adults (online price) or £19.75 at the door
How to Get Tickets: Purchase online for a discount OR on site, on the day of visit.
(Check the official website for more info)

How Long to Spend There

I arrived at Blair Castle a little after noon and stayed until they closed at around 5 p.m.

Here’s an approximate amount of time spent on each activity at Blair Castle:

Touring the castle: 1.5-2 hours
Strolling the gardens: 1-2 hours
Browsing the gift shop: 20 minutes
Visiting the red deer and hairy coos: 20 minutes
Taking photos outside the castle: 20 minutes

With the two-hour travel time from Edinburgh (each way), I would say it’s a full day trip to visit Blair Castle.

Map of Blair Castle

What to Do / Highlights

Walk Down the Driveway of Trees

Upon entering Blair Castle’s property, you’ll first walk down a long driveway with trees lining each side.

These trees are absolutely gorgeous during autumn with their golden leaves littering the ground and falling all around you.

I probably spent close to an hour walking down this road because I kept stopping to take more pictures.

girl standing in the middle of the road with golden autumn trees lining each side — Driveway of Trees, Blair Castle

girl standing in the middle of a leaf-littered pathway with golden autumn trees lining one side and a fence lining the other — Driveway of Trees, Blair Castle

Tour the Castle

The moment you enter Blair Castle, you’re immersed in its warm Scottish charm. Dark woods, weaponry on the walls, and deer antlers galore.

It feels cozy and inviting despite being so elegant and, well, rich.

Most of the rooms are open for your perusal. And there is quite a lot to see.

In each room, you’ll find informational pamphlets to tell you about its features and history, such as which royals have stayed in which rooms and what historic events have the family been a part of (from wars to the Jacobite rising to hosting Mary Queen of Scots herself).

Here were some of the highlights for me, the rooms you definitely can’t miss.

Victorian ballroom. One of the last rooms in the castle you’ll see before reaching the gift shop is the stunning Victorian ballroom. They really saved the best for last. This huge room was built in 1876 to accommodate the annual Atholl Highlanders ball. It has panelled walls and vaulted ceilings, and is decorated by antlers and framed artwork. Just stunning.

Main stair. This staircase is truly gorgeous. It leads down several floors before reaching the ground floor, where a suit of armour is displayed. A chandelier made of antlers hangs down the middle. You can take some great photos on the stairs.

Tapestry room and tapestry dressing room. The tapestry room is the oldest part of the castle, Comyn’s tower, built in the 13th century. Later parts of the castle were added onto it. In these rooms, tapestries line the walls, making it one of the most beautifully decorated rooms.

You may notice a lot of deer antlers decorating the castle and that is because deer stalking is common in order to cull the deer population on these lands as they have no natural predators.

girl standing in the middle of the Victorian ballroom in Blair Castle — Victorian Ballroom, Blair Castle

girl standing inside a room in Blair Castle — Tapestry dressing room, Blair Castle

girl taking a selfie in a mirror inside a bedroom in Blair Castle — Tapestry room, Blair Castle

girl looking up at a wall covered in armour and weapons inside Blair Castle — Balcony by Front Entrance Hall, Blair Castle

girl looking up from a staircase winding down in Blair Castle — Main Staircase, Blair Castle

Stroll the Hercules Garden

It’s easy to miss the Hercules Garden as it’s hidden away, nowhere near the castle. You’ll have to walk past the car park, and down the Hercules Walk / Sculpture Trail, before arriving at its gates.

You may be wondering, is it even worth going all the way over there?

YES, it most certainly is. Let me tell you, when I entered this garden, my jaw was on the floor.

I could not believe how beautiful it was.

The Hercules Garden is a 9-acre walled garden, recently restored to its original Georgian design.

It has ponds, more than 100 apple and fruit trees, huts, and a Chinese bridge.

a statue of Hercules in front of the Hercules Garden in Blair Castle — Hercules Garden, Blair Castle

girl standing on a pathway in the walled garden at Blair Castle — Hercules Garden, Blair Castle

apple trees and hedges inside the walled garden at Blair Castle — Hercules Garden, Blair Castle

a hut near a pond in the walled garden at Blair Castle — Hercules Garden, Blair Castle

a sundial in an autumn garden — Hercules Garden, Blair Castle

Spot Some Animals: Sheep, Deer, and Highland Cows

Highland cows: It’s always exciting to run into Highland cows, no matter where you are in Scotland. There are several on the grounds of Blair Castle, found close to the car park, actually.

Sheep: A flock of sheep can be seen grazing on the fields near the driveway of trees. They are fenced in and a bit skittish. They will scatter if you get too close.

Red deer: The Red Deer Park is directly to the right of Blair Castle. There were about a dozen deer resting in the grass during my visit in autumn.

girl looking at sheep grazing in a field at Blair Castle — Blair Castle

sheep grazing in a field with Blair Castle in the background — Blair Castle

two Highland cows standing behind a fence at Blair Castle — Highland cows, Blair Castle

red deer sitting in the lawn behind a fence at Blair Castle — Red deer, Blair Castle

Woodlands

If you have even more time to spare after wandering around Blair Castle and the gardens, consider walking around the woodlands on one of several waymarked trails.

See a map of walks you can do from Blair Castle.

an open field with autumn trees near a hill in the back — Blair Castle

Is It Worth Visiting on a Day Trip?

Blair Castle is one of my favorite day trips from Edinburgh. It was such a magical day, exploring the castle and frolicking on the grounds.

If you like nature, it’s a truly beautiful region of Scotland.

If you like history, you’ll find plenty of it within the castle.

If you like castles, well, Blair Castle is truly stunning. You won’t be disappointed.

girl standing on the side of Blair Castle, a white-washed castle in Scots baronial style — Blair Castle

greenery in front of Blair Castle, a white-washed castle in Scots baronial style — Blair Castle

How to Get There

On a Group Tour

If you want an easy way to explore Blair Castle, consider doing the best of Scotland group tour with Heart of Scotland.

They’ll take you from Edinburgh to not just Blair Castle but also Dunkeld, Killiecrankie Gorge, and the Hermitage (which is also amazing at autumn!).

On Your Own (Public Transit)

If you’re coming from Edinburgh, it’s quite easy to reach Blair Castle. You just need to take a train from Waverley Station to Blair Atholl Station. Blair Castle is a 5-minute walk away.

The train journey takes about 2 hours. The only downside is that there’s only about one direct train per day that will get you there before the castle closes.

However, I went with this option, leaving Edinburgh at 10:30 a.m. and arriving at Blair Atholl at 12:30 p.m. I spent the rest of the afternoon at Blair Castle (about 4 hours) and felt it was definitely worth the travel.

Tip: I recommend having dinner at The Bothy Bar in the Atholl Arms Hotel when you’re done exploring the castle.

the main road heading into Blair Castle with a stone house on the side of it — Entrance to Blair Castle

When to Visit

Autumn: If I haven’t already made it clear with my pictures or my ravings about Blair Castle at autumn, I’ll say it again that Blair Castle is THE castle to visit during autumn.

Clear your schedule during October because it’s something you must see at least once in your life.

My visit to Blair Castle was specifically on October 8, and it was prime autumn time. So try to go earlier in the month, if you can.

Spring and Summer: However, if your visit to Scotland lands in another part of the year, I’m sure Blair Castle looks just as lovely in spring and summer. Remember, it’s open only during the months of April to October.

the front of Blair Castle, a white-washed castle in Scots baronial style — Blair Castle

a section of Blair Castle, a white-washed castle in Scots baronial style, surrounded by trees — Blair Castle

the Scottish flag flying above Blair Castle, a white-washed castle in Scots baronial style — Blair Castle

Where to Stay While Visiting

Blair Castle makes for a great day trip from Edinburgh, so I’d recommend staying in Edinburgh while visiting. That way you don’t have to lug your suitcases around.

To make things even more convenient, you should consider staying near the Waverley Train Station, especially if you plan to do a number of day trips from Edinburgh.

For a full, detailed breakdown of the best areas to stay in Edinburgh, see my post, “Where to Stay in Edinburgh the First Time: 5 Best Places + 5 to Avoid.”

Recommended hotels in Edinburgh near Waverley Train Station:

But if you’d like to make it an overnight trip, consider staying in quaint Blair Atholl.

Recommended hotels in Blair Atholl:

Atholl Arms Hotel

What to Pack to Visit Scotland

Warm, waterproof wear

If you’re visiting Scotland during its cold and rainy season (almost every month of the year besides a few weeks in summer), you should definitely bring a warm waterproof jacket and waterproof walking boots.

This waterproof jacket and these waterproof boots I took with me to Scotland helped us explore no matter the weather. We walked around Edinburgh in the rain and snow, during foggy mornings and chilly evenings, and enjoyed it all. Be prepared for rainy weather, and dress for it, so you don’t miss out.
Also consider bringing fleece-lined leggings — I loved this pair I packed!

Favorite travel essentials

I really recommend these compression packing cubes. They’re very thick and durable and allow you to pack more than you expect.
I also love this travel backpack that opens like a suitcase, fits almost as much as a carry-on, and has tons of pockets as well as a strap to attach to your luggage handle. It makes traveling so much easier and more organized. It also fits nicely under the airplane seats.
I bring this AirFly receiver for AirPods with me on long-haul flights, so I can connect to the plane’s video screen with my own AirPods.
I no longer hop on a flight without wearing my Sockwell compression socks because they really do help relieve/prevent leg cramps from sitting so long in one place. I have the lotus pattern, but there are other patterns to choose from. See all sock patterns in the Sockwell storefront.