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The old bridge and weir on the River Ericht at Blairgowrie.
Perthshire

Blairgowrie

A market town on the River Ericht at the edge of the Highlands, with its twin Rattray across the water, once a town of flax and jute mills and now of berry fields.

Welcome

Blairgowrie sits on the River Ericht where the flat farmland of Strathmore meets the first of the Highland hills, and the road north from it climbs to Glenshee and the Cairnwell.

Across the river is its twin, Rattray, and the two became one burgh in 1928, though locals call the place Blair.

The Ericht made the town. Its fast water once drove a long line of mills along both banks, spinning flax for linen and later jute, and their stone buildings still stand along the river. Then, from the late 19th century, came the raspberries, and Blairgowrie became the soft fruit capital of Scotland, with fields of berries all around and pickers arriving every summer.

At the heart of the town is the Wellmeadow, its open square, a few steps from the bridge over the Ericht. The riverside path leads upstream past the old mills to the gorge at Cargill's Leap.

A short drive awayCargill’s LeapA rocky gorge on the Ericht just above the town.3 min by roadSee itCargill’s Leap, Perthshire
Before you go

The town can be walked at any time.

The Wellmeadow is its open square, the bridge over the Ericht joins it to Rattray, and the riverside path leads upstream past old mills to Cargill's Leap.

Where
On the A93, fifteen miles north of Perth.
To see
The Wellmeadow, the Ericht and its bridge, the riverside path to Cargill's Leap.
Where it is

On the River Ericht, where the A93 heads north into the hills towards Glenshee.

Close byBlairgowrie and the Ericht.
  1. Meikleour Beech HedgeMeikleour Beech HedgeA beech hedge of 1745 by the A93, the tallest in the world.4 miles7 min by road
  2. The Alyth Burn running through the town between stone walls.AlythAn old market town with a packhorse bridge of the 1500s.6 miles10 min by road
  3. The Alyth Burn rushing over stones between autumn beeches in the Den o' Alyth.Den o' AlythA wooded glen on both sides of the Alyth Burn on the edge of Alyth, with paths under beech, oak, ash and alder along the water.6 miles9 min by road
  4. The great carved cross-slab standing in the hall of the Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum.Meigle Pictish StonesTwenty-six carved stones from the Pictish church at Meigle, from the late 700s to the late 900s, in the old village schoolhouse.8 miles13 min by road
  5. Loch of the Lowes Wildlife ReserveLoch of the Lowes Wildlife ReserveA Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve on a loch near Dunkeld, where ospreys return each spring to nest 150 metres from the hides.9 miles12 min by road
Directions
Cargill’s Leap, PerthshireAttractionsCargill’s Leap1.0 miles
The Reekie Linn pouring white into its gorge among autumn trees.AttractionsReekie Linn9.8 miles
An aerial view shows a black timber cabin with a pitched roof set on a deck in an open field, a bath and seating area visible outside.PerthshireThe Cabin at FairygreenSleeps 2 · 9.8 miles
A stone cottage with a green door and three chimneys sits behind a lawn bordered by shrubs and flowerbeds.PerthshireFairygreen CottageSleeps 4 · 11 miles
Farm café with beamed ceiling, mismatched chairs and cakes under glass domesCafePeel Farm11 miles
A red timber cabin with a steep pitched roof stands on a hillside among pines, a covered deck and chairs to one side.PerthshireJuniperSleeps 2 · 12 miles
Dried flower display above a shopfront doorway on Atholl StreetCafeARAN Bakery12 miles
ShoppingHairy Coo & Co, Dunkeld12 miles
Picnic tables on a lawn with a canopy, church spire and townhouses behindRestaurantsThe Taybank12 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near Blairgowrie, and when each is next free.

A stone cottage with a green door and three chimneys sits behind a lawn bordered by shrubs and flowerbeds.Fairygreen Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Perthshire
  • 8 miles from Blairgowrie
Check datesAn aerial view shows a black timber cabin with a pitched roof set on a deck in an open field, a bath and seating area visible outside.The Cabin at Fairygreen
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Perthshire
  • 8 miles from Blairgowrie
Check datesA red timber cabin with a steep pitched roof stands on a hillside among pines, a covered deck and chairs to one side.Juniper
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Perthshire
  • 10 miles from Blairgowrie
Check datesNàdair, AngusNàdair
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Perthshire
  • 10 miles from Blairgowrie
Free 4–6 DecPlaces to stayEvery stay in PerthshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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