European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Tay River Iver and the Foothills of the Grampian mountains provide a tranquil setting for Dunkeld which considers itself the Quot Gateway to the  s Tay River Valley where the lowlands and the Highlands collide with a drink in one hand and an umbrella in the other a kilted Man walks through the rain in  Castle sits amid the mountains and Trees a few Miles from Pitlochry. By Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer geographically Scotland has a split personality. The dividing line is the Highland Boundary fault sometimes called the Highland line which slashes across the Region from Southwest to Northeast. The Highland line stretches roughly from the Firth of Clyde on the East coast to just South of Aberdeen on the West coast. North of this line Are the wild windswept Highlands with their rugged mountains numberless lakes and Fields of Heather. South of the fault Are the gentler More pastoral lowlands a Grain and cattle Region of rolling Hills and farms and the Region s biggest population centers. The transformation from the Lowland to the Highland landscape is perhaps most impressive in the Tay River Valley. A it s the Start of the Highland scenery. If you come up the a-9 you notice a dramatic difference a says Anne Pollock an assistant at the tourist office in Dunkeld Scotland. Like much of Scotland the Tay Region is popular for its Scenic Beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities. Quot i Don t suppose people come Here for the night life a says Pollock. Quot because there in t  instead they come for Miles and Miles of hiking amid breathtaking scenery fishing in one of Scotland s Best Salmon and sea Trout Rivers birdwatching Hunting camping and sightseeing. The Region s Central geographical feature is the River. At nearly 120 Miles it is the longest in Scotland. And the Valley it carves out meandering and thickly wooded is one of Scotland s most Beautiful. From Dunkeld to Pitlochry the Hills and Vales Are verdant with Oak Beech and Ash. These extensive Hardwood forests distinguish the Region from the mostly Barren moors farther North. Near Dunkeld the terrain begins climbing up to the Grampian mountains where the Highlands truly begin. The town Calls itself the Quot Gateway to the Highlands a a title that signifies its location on the Boundary fault As w Ell As on the a-9, the main Highway to the Central Highlands. Dunkeld is a tiny town with a significance to scottish history out of proportion to its size. In ancient times the site was settled by the pets a Northern celtic people. A ninth Century King chose Dunkeld As the Headquarters of scottish christianity in 850. Because of its strategic geographic location Dunkeld was an important trading Center Over the centuries. It also was sometimes a Battleground and was largely destroyed in 1689 in the War Over the English throne. Today Dunkeld is basically a one Street town with a 10 stripes Magazine september 19, 1991