Perthshire
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Genteel, attractive Perthshire is, in many ways, the epitome of well-groomed rural Scotland. An area of gentle glens, mature woodland, rushing rivers and peaceful lochs, it's the long-established domain of Scotland's country-club set. First settled over eight thousand years ago, it was taken by the Romans and then the Picts before Celtic missionaries established themselves, enjoying the amenable climate, fertile soil and ideal defensive and trading location.
The hub of the region is the port of Perth, which for centuries has benefited from its inland position on the River Tay. Salmon, wool and, by the sixteenth century, whisky - Bell's, Dewar's and the Famous Grouse brands all hail from this area - were exported, while a major import was Bordeaux claret. Today, it remains a prosperous-feeling place and has some excellent restaurants and a fine gallery commemorating the Scottish Colourist J.D. Fergusson.
A place of magnificent natural beauty, where the snow-capped peaks fall away to forested slopes and long, deep lochs, Perthshire is dominated by the gathering mountains of the Highlands, topography which inevitably controls transport routes, influences the weather and tolerates little development. The various mountains, woods and lochs provide walking and water sports, and the area is dotted with fine towns and villages like Aberfeldy at the western tip of Loch Tay and Dunkeld with its eighteenth-century whitewashed cottages and lovely ruined cathedral.
Transport connections in the region are at their best if you head straight north from Perth, along the train line to Inverness, but buses - albeit often infrequent - also serve the more remote areas. Keep asking at bus stations for details of services, as the further you get from the main villages the less definitive timetables become.
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