Beatrix Potter at Birnam Arts – Peter Rabbit on the Tay
A few hours.
The route
Long before Peter Rabbit was famous, Beatrix Potter spent her childhood summers on the Tay near Dunkeld, and Birnam Arts tells the story in a small exhibition made for children.
There's a garden trail of animal sculptures to hunt for outside, and a café for a warm lunch when the rain comes on. It's a good one for a wet morning.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The day
Birnam
A cosy morning of rabbits, hedgehogs and stories, then soup and cake in the café while the rain runs down the windows.
About two hours
Birnam Arts & Beatrix Potter Perthshire Experience
Park free on the street on Station Road outside Birnam Arts, which has two accessible spaces by the door. Beatrix Potter spent her childhood summers at Dalguise on the Tay, and in 1893, staying in Dunkeld, she wrote the picture letter to a little boy that became The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The exhibition tells that story for children, and steps from the gift shop lead down to the garden trail, where carved animal sculptures hide among the plants. Bring waterproofs for the garden on a wet day. A ticket costs £5 and covers both, with a free activity book for each child; children of four and under and their carers go free, and there's no need to book. The exhibition opens every day from 10.30am to 3.30pm, with last entry at 3pm. There are accessible toilets on both floors.
More about Birnam Arts & Beatrix Potter Perthshire Experience
The café at Birnam Arts
Lunch
Lunch is in the café at Birnam Arts, in the same building as the exhibition. It's open every day from 10am to 4pm, with soup of the day, freshly made sandwiches, pastries and cakes, and gluten-free and vegan choices. Children and dogs are both welcome, and you don't need to book. There are ramps inside, and accessible toilets on both floors.
If it rains
The exhibition and the café are indoors: on a downpour keep the garden trail short and spend longer over lunch.
The Taybank, riverside pub, live music.
ARAN Bakery, artisan bakery and lunches.