Perthshire
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About Perthshire
Perthshire is situated at the centre of Scotland and is often referred to a the "Big County". While it is one of the largest counties of Scotland out side of its main population centres it is very sparsely populated with Rannoch Moor, to the west, being 150 square miles of uninhabited and uninhabitable rolling heather moorland with a great many peat bogs and lochs. The main town is Perth with the other population centres of Perthshire such as Pitlochry and Aberfeldy are typical Scottish towns - that is, small and friendly.
Perth is an ancient town of Scotland and was, in 1210 founded as a royal burgh and it stood as Scotland's capital until 1452. Perth is well known for its fantastic River Tay salmon fishing. The River Tay is Britain's largest river by volume of water (having more water than both the River Thames and River Severn together). The High Street in Perth is pedestrianised making shopping thoroughly enjoyable.
Pitlochry is a popular vacation destination being declared the tourist centre of Highland Perthshire. However the town is, by comparison to others, is fairly recent being developed in the early 19th Century. There are a number of tourist attractions in and around Pitlochry with the local distilleries proving very popular.
Aberfeldy, like Perth, is situated on the River Tay and about 6 miles from Loch Tay. A popular attraction is the Aberfeldy Water Mill where you can tour the restored working oatmeal mill (Tel: 01887 820330). Popularised by Robert Burns in his "The Birks of Aberfeldy" Aberfeldy lies at the point at which the Urlar Burn (lined by the silver birch in the poem) joins the River Tay which is spanned by Wade's Bridge, a four arched humpbacked bridge built by General Wade in 1733 as part of his system of Military Roads which brought much prosperity to Perthshire and the Highlands.
Things to see and do around Perthshire
Scottish Crannog Centre Loch Tay is a 14 mile mile long freshwater loch with a selection of water sports and the main attraction being the Scottish Crannog Centre. A Crannog is a type of ancient loch dwelling supported by stilts and stretching out into the loch. It has long been believed that this was for defensive purposes but it has always puzzled me because fire would be an easy and powerful weapon against such a defense. It was far more likely that the house was built out to gain a good and clear viewpoint of the surrounding area and, possibly, to avoid the dreaded and highly aggressive Scottish midge! You can learn more about Scotland's Crannogs at the centre.
Tel: 01887 830583
Scone Palace Not far from Perth Scone Palace is one of Scotland's grandest stately homes. It was rebuilt/renovated in a Gothic style in 1803 around a 16th Century core surrounded by earlier buildings. Owned by the Earl and Countess of Mansfield the castellated mansion has sections open to the public allowing us to view many priceless English and French furnishings including the writing desk of Marie Antoinette. Scone Abbey once stood here but was destroyed following a sermon preached by John Knox in Perth.
Tel: 01738/ 552300
Perthshire Accommodation
| The Spittal of Glenshee Hotel | ||
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The Spittal of Glenshee Hotel Price: From £35 The Spittal of Glenshee is the site of one of the oldest inns in the U.K. As a centre for touring, Glenshee has it all, from the majestic scenery of the Glens to Royal Deeside and the Cairngorm Mountains. Read more... |
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Perthshire Links:
Perth Hotels
Perth hotel and accommodation information.
Pitlochry Hotels
Pitlochry hotel and accommodation guide.