A few days ago, Lorna and I set off in beautiful, sunny autumn weather to meet my other daughter, Flora, for lunch at the Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry. Lorna was able to park in a handy disabled bay, and Flora and I paused for a photo outside the grand entrance.

There are two dining options in the hotel: the Verandah restaurant, and the Stag’s Head Bar. We chose the bar, which has a lovely outlook onto the tree-filled grounds and the hills beyond.

The bar serves both light meals and larger options. Flora went for fish and chips, Lorna had a vegetable curry, and I chose pea and mint soup.

To pad out my meal, I ordered a basket of French fries. The difference in size between my chips and Flora’s was very noticeable.

Not having any chips of her own (and being very willing to help), Lorna assisted both me and Flora in consuming our potato elements. As a result, she was too full for pudding, but Flora and I felt we could manage a little something.

I plumped for a coconut and Biscoff cheesecake, and Flora opted for a fruit scone.

Breakfast tea was ordered for Flora, Earl Grey for Lorna, and a decaf Americano for me.

When we’d finished and settled up, we made our way through the thickly carpeted corridors of the hotel.

The building was opened in 1874 as the ‘Athole Hydropathic’, a kind of spa, containing accommodation, Turkish baths, and treatment rooms for those wishing to take the health-giving waters of Pitlochry. New owners took it over in 1913, upgraded the building, installed electric lighting and re-named it the Atholl Palace Hotel.

One of the attractive features of the hotel is the variety of seating options throughout the ground floor. There are many armchairs and sofas, nicely positioned to allow observation of the comings and goings, and engage in a bit of people-watching.

It had been a very relaxing and enjoyable visit to the Atholl Palace, and as we left we enjoyed the floral displays outside the front of the building.