Main Street, Pitlochry today.

Main Street, Pitlochry still exists today and surprisingly, most of the architecture remains intact. Many of the companies seen in the postcard also still exist to this day. To begin with, the layout of the street is still the same. More specifically, the road is single laned with parking on either side. In both images, the cars are parked in the same locations with the only difference being the modern car versus the older vehicles. This shows the consistency of Main Street as a lively and bustling area throughout the years. As for the buildings, the postcard features “McKay’s Hotel & Restaurant” in the foreground on the left side of the postcard. Today, McKay’s still exists in the exact same building, the only difference being the installation of a new vestibule. Further down the street, in the postcard, there is a building known as the “Craigower Hotel”. This hotel still exists as “Craghoppers” although its bottom half has been replaced with “Highland Soap Co.” and “Craghoppers and Hawkshead Clothing”. The soap shop is a local store selling Scottish handmade soaps and skincare. Even further down the street in the postcard, a building with a garage sign can be seen. This building has now transformed into the “Heilan Cafe” which is known for its ice cream. The alterations to the garage and the bottom floor of the hotel make sense as they better accommodate the commercial theme of Main Street, Pitlochry. 

Main Street, Pitlochry circa 1931-1944.

Overall, Main Street illustrated in the postcard image and current-day Main Street are strikingly similar. Despite small alterations to the use of the buildings, the buildings themselves are architecturally identical. Furthermore, the commercial and tourist-inspired theme of the street has remained continuous for over a century. This is something the burgh prides itself on as they advertise on their website how, “Pitlochry today is a bustling tourist town and has been welcoming visitors for over 170 years” (Pitlochry, 2019).

This postcard is not very valuable partially due to its consistency with current day Main Street. If Main Street was significantly changed then this postcard would have a greater historical value. Being a location that is proud of its “historical sense of place”, Pitlochry has an abundance of substantial historical artifacts which lessens the research and historical value of my postcard (Yeoman, 2007). This postcard also provides fairly insignificant insight into daily life, the state of Scotland, or any other information that would prove it valuable. Something that can appreciate the value of my postcard is sentimental value. However, due to the lack of writing, addressing, or any means of personal attachment to the card, it is unlikely that there is much sentimental value to this card. Thus, due to the availability of more substantial artifacts for historical or research purposes, and the lack of writing and personalization to the card, my postcard is not very valuable in the current day.