Deriving from the old name Wood of the Aspen, the village is perhaps best known for its famous battle in July 1869 when Jacobite rebels under Viscount Dundee fought an army of King William's government led by General Mackay. The Jacobites won the battle but Dundee was killed and his effort to reinstate King James on the throne failed. The River Garry flows along the pass and the area is renowned for its varied wildlife and magnificent woodlands. It will become more famous for the first permanent bungee-jumping platform in the UK, which is managed by Highland Fling and based at Nae Limits.

The Killiecrankie centre was the first purpose-built countryside visitor centre in Scotland. It offers visitors the opportunity to discover everything about the pass, from the sights and sounds of its wildlife to the gory history of the battle. The centre holds the Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold Award.  A number of popular trails branch out from the centre along the river, from the famous Soldier's Leap, in particular. The four peaks of the Beinn a' Ghlo's to the northeast of Killiecrankie all rise to above 3,000 feet and qualify as Munros. They are extremely popular with walkers. 

The Killiecrankie House Hotel is a small but relaxing country hotel set in mature landscaped gardens overlooking the River Garry and the Pass of Killiecrankie. It maintains a high standard and has a sound reputation for modern Scottish cooking drawing local diners. The menu changes daily and is built around fresh local produce from the kitchen garden. The Killiecrankie visitor centre also has a cafe called the Soldier's Leap. For other places to eat, check out our wine and dine page.

There are no golf courses in Killiecrankie itself but there are many excellent courses in the park to the north and south of the village. Take a look at our site's page on golf courses in the Cairngorms National Park to find the nearest.

The villages of Blair Atholl and Pitlochry offer more than Killiecrankie by way of events. There are New Year's Day Ceilidhs, closed road cycle challenges in May, the British Pipe Band Championships and the Pitlochry Highland Games. However, if you don't mind a short drive north, why not visit the highland centres of Newtonmore and Aviemore, where there are plenty of attractions to keep you busy, from water-sports on Loch Insh to the Wildcat walking trails, from the Newtonmore Highland Games to skiing and snowboarding?

Fishermen may wish to try their luck in the Tay or Garry, while the walking is simply spectacular. The salmon and trout fishing seasons run throughout the summer until October and coarse fishing for pike and perch can also be arranged.  Mountain bikers can head over the hills to Braemar and Royal Deeside. For the winter sports enthusiast, the Glenshee ski area is only thirty miles away. Killiecrankie is a quiet rural village with no real amenities. The visitor centre has a snack bar but there is no petrol station or shop. If the pace of life is too slow here, why not pop into Pitlochry or Blair Atholl a few miles up the A9?