Perth Area

PERTH AREA

Perth
Perth lies beside the M90 and is thus easily accessible from Glasgow and Edinburgh, the M90 becoming the A9 north of Perth, the main route to Inverness.  Perth is a stately town on the banks of the River Tay with many Georgian houses contrasting with the old buildings in the cobbled town centre.  With a hinterland of rich farming land, it became a flourishing market town and textile centre and is currently an important centre for the whisky and insurance industries.  James I's parliament met in Perth as it was the Scottish capital at that time but the king was murdered in the town in 1437.  The 15th century St. John's Kirk was where John Knox founded the Reformation leading to the destruction of Scone Palace and other religious sites.  The JD Ferguson Gallery has many of this local Scottish Colourist's paintings on display.  About a mile west of Perth are Bell's Cherrybank Gardens famous for its heather gardens.

Perth has an abundance of excellent restaurants, including the exclusive 63 Tay Street, the fish restaurant Kerracher's, Let's Eat, Paco's Restaurant and Metzo.  There are many hotels in Perth including the New County Hotel, the Salutation Hotel and luxurious Parkland's.  The tourist office is on West Mill Street, five minutes from the bus and train stations.

Around Perth
At the southern edge of the region lies Kinross, about 15 miles south of Perth near the M90 beside Loch Leven.  The loch is a National Nature Reserve, and the 14th century Loch Leven Castle, which sits on a small island, is where Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner.

Scone, lying 2 miles north of Perth, was the first capital of Scotland.  The Stone of Destiny was taken to Scone by the first king of Scotland in the 9th century.  An abbey was built in Scone where Scottish kings were crowned but it was destroyed by John Knox's followers during the Reformation.  The 16th century Scone Palace was built on the site of the abbey and although occupied by the Earl of Mansfield, is open to the public. 

The Perthshire Visitor Centre with its 'Macbeth Experience' is in Bankfoot, 8 miles north of Perth on the A9 - not far from Shakespeare's Birnam wood which featured in his famous play.