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Perthshire

Perth

The Fair City on the west bank of the Tay, founded as a burgh by King David around 1125, long the lowest crossing of the river, and Scotland's seventh city since 2012.

Welcome

Perth stands on the west bank of the Tay, where the broad river curves between wooded hills, its terraces of grey stone and the tall spire of St Matthew's reflected in the water.

The Fair City is old: King David founded a burgh here around 1125, and for centuries its bridge was the lowest crossing of the Tay, the road north for every traveller and every army.

Scone, where the kings of Scots were crowned, lies two miles upstream, and Perth itself was long a royal town. St John's Kirk stands among the old streets. Two great parks, the North and South Inch, open out along the river on either side of the centre, and Perth became Scotland's seventh city in 2012.

Today it is a lively city with independent shops, restaurants and galleries, the paintings of J.D. Fergusson at Perth Art Gallery, and Kinnoull Hill rising above the far bank.

Before you go

A city, open at all times.

The Tay, the two Inches, St John's Kirk, the museum and the galleries are all within a short walk of each other.

Where
On the west bank of the Tay, where the A9 and M90 meet.
To see
St John's Kirk, Perth Museum, Perth Art Gallery, the North and South Inch.

Did you know

A wide river bordered by autumn trees, a bridge and a grand columned building on its far bank.
Did you know

A city since 2012.

Perth was made Scotland's seventh city in 2012.

A river bordered by townhouses, a church spire and a bridge rising along its bank.
Did you know

The lowest crossing.

Until recent times Perth's bridge was the lowest crossing of the Tay.

A river bordered by a church and autumn willow trees.
Did you know

A royal burgh.

King David founded a new town here, on the west bank of the Tay, by 1125.

What is on

What is new across Perthshire, day by day.

New places, news and stories, as we find them.

What is on in Perthshire
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Where it is

On the west bank of the River Tay, at the gateway to the Highlands.

Close byPerth.
  1. Coffee & Things café with outdoor tables on a quiet Edinburgh streetCoffee and ThingsA cafe on pedestrian St John Street in Perth, with good coffee, cakes, focaccia and breakfasts, and tables outside.Under a mile2 min by road
  2. Rows of treadmills and weight machines fill the Live Active gym floorDewars CentrePerth's ice rink and sports centre on Glover Street, a home of Scottish curling, with indoor bowls, a gym and halls for shows and events.Under a mile4 min by road
  3. Red shopfront sign reading "Effie's of Perth, Traditional Tea Room & RestaurantEffie's of PerthUnder a mile2 min by road
  4. Domed gallery building with T H Marshall Civis Gratia inscription and colourful banners on its columnsPerth Art GalleryOne of the UK's oldest public art collections, with rooms for J.D. Fergusson.Under a mile3 min by road
  5. Small tower on a cliff edge overlooking a winding river valleyKinnoull Hill Woodland ParkWoodland paths up to a clifftop tower above the Tay.3 miles7 min by road
  6. Scone PalaceScone PalaceThe palace by the old crowning place of Scottish kings.3 miles11 min by road
Directions
Church spire beside the River Tay, with a stone bridge in the distanceAttractionsQueen's Bridge0.6 miles
ShoppingTayberry Gallery0.7 miles
Gift shop interior with dried flower garland above a wooden counterShoppingQuince and Cook0.7 miles
Turreted sandstone mansion with crow-stepped gables and slate roofs under grey skyAttractionsThe Black Watch Castle & Museum0.7 miles
Box hedge maze paths curve through a garden with yellow tansy flowersAttractionsRodney Gardens0.7 miles
Wooden planters flank The Rose House shopfront on a quiet streetCafeThe Rose House0.9 miles
Crumbling stone castle with corbelled turrets stands behind a low drystone wallAttractionsHuntingtower Castle2.6 miles
An aerial view of a golf green surrounded by bunkers and trees, rolling countryside stretching to the horizon.PerthshireMurrayshallPlace to stay · 3.8 miles
White-washed building with slate roof and fish emblem above the entranceCafeTickled Trout Café4.5 miles
Stay nearby

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

An aerial view of a golf green surrounded by bunkers and trees, rolling countryside stretching to the horizon.Murrayshall
  • To stay
  • In Perthshire
  • 3 miles from Perth
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
  • 7 miles from Perth
Check datesA stone cottage with a green door and three chimneys sits behind a lawn bordered by shrubs and flowerbeds.Fairygreen Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Perthshire
  • 9 miles from Perth
Check datesGuests raise wine glasses at a long candlelit table in a stone barnGuardswell Farm
  • Sleeps 10
  • In Inchture
  • 9 miles from Perth
Check datesPlaces 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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Scotland, in print.

Every photograph commissioned, every word written by somebody who went. Printed twice a year, made in Scotland.

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Find out more

For further reading, before you go.