Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre Reviews Summary

Café and Food

Pros:

• "Café is superb. The staff are very friendly and the pizzas are amazing! Fab views over the dam as well."
• "Good coffee and home made cakes just adds to a great overall experience."
• "Lovely lunch, friendly efficient staff even let my dog in."
• "Staff are very friendly, the food is great and the loos are clean and well maintained."
• "Always a fantastic visit, superb service, excellent food and coffee."
• "The food is outstanding and a very good price!"
• "Cafe has gluten free options too."

Cons:

• "Only downer- price of food a bit steep however the quality was exceptional."
• "The café's prices are a bit on the high end, but the almond slice is good."
• "Lunch very basic, and a very small choice."
• "Unfortunately it also enjoys the same high prices as other touristy cafes, and the she applies in the gift shop."
• "Not sure why the breakfast rolls can't be served during lunch too? They could have sold a couple of dozen to us!"
• "The only let down is that the viewing gallery in the fish ladder is closed."
• "Lack of communication from till too restaurant as had to ask for food."

Visitor Centre and Exhibits

Pros:

• "This is a great place to visit very informative and well worth popping into the visitors center for tea and cake as well as the free exhibition downstairs."
• "Fascinating exhibition with loads of interesting artefacts."
• "Modern visitor centre with helpful friendly staff and multimedia displays telling the history of the dam."
• "Great interactive museum and amazing new building with views across the dam."
• "The new and improved visitor centre is really good. Perched up above and overlooking the dam it’s full of detailed and informative displays which kept the family occupied for a good while."
• "A really good visitor centre that explains how the dam and hydro-electric power station works."
• "Very informative and interactive visitors centre. Really enjoyed the hands on exhibits and story of building the network of dams etc."

Cons:

• "Dissapointed the glass viewing chamber for the salmon jump is closed though."
• "Unfortunately the visitor centre is closed, but you can still get food and drink at the cafe."
• "Viewing chamber was closed for repair when I visited in July, so if you want to see the fish chamber best call ahead."
• "The centre is fine if you're already at the dam and want to wait for a couple of minutes before moving on, but it's no great draw by itself."
• "Exhibition was interesting but could be improved, information a little basic for adults."
• "Unfortunately some of the interpretation was not open when we visited."
• "They have unfortunately closed the fish ladder observation area due to access issues, which is a shame, but there is a live recording in the visitor centre."

Accessibility and Parking

Pros:

• "There is free parking, and access is good for disabled visitors."
• "Car park is free too."
• "The visitor center has a carpark at the bottom of the hill and disabled spaces at the top, also a drop off style point."
• "Easy parking, fabulous views."
• "Good parking and the staff are very friendly and efficient in these strange time. Toilets were very clean."
• "Easy parking, dog friendly visitor centre and dog friendly cafe."
• "Google shows two different points for the visitors centre, and one is the new one with step free access."

Cons:

• "Limited parking close by for disabled visitors."
• "Access to the dam is a little hard to get to so sat nav it would be best."
• "Directions to the parking lots need improvement and got us confused."
• "Poor signage to the center meant we had a long walk."
• "Went over during a very wet spell. Paid to park. Walked through the town seeing multiple signs. Walked down to the dam, where parking was free, but it was closed. Soaked and very disappointed."
• "There are an array of walks but quite a lot of steps to get from the visitor centre to the salmon steps on foot, not negotiable with a pram, but you can walk through the village and round or drive to get to the other side."
• "Still looks like it did in the 60s and 70s when I was a kid. There's little there for visitors apart from a cafe up above the bank at start of the dam on the north side."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "A lovely, friendly and helpful staff."
• "Really friendly and helpful staff."
• "Excellent table service."
• "Helpful, friendly staff (I wasn’t well and they called a taxi and looked out for us until it came)."
• "The staff are very friendly and efficient in these strange time."
• "An AMAZING building, staff are so approachable and helpful."
• "The staff were friendly and efficient with our order arriving at our balcony table in double quick time."

Cons:

• "Nice building, nice area and well explained working of a dam for kids and grown-ups. The staff could be a bit friendlier, at 4.30 upon entering cafe already closed and announcing that they will close at 5.30."
• "The whole experience could have been 5 stars but I am not a fan of dogs in eating spaces."
• "Lack of communication from till too restaurant as had to ask for food."
• "Great place to visit as usual, think that due to restrictions they should have kept the long gate open as had to walk on narrow path for distancing wasn't good."