A warm welcome awaits you in Perthshire, the heart of
Scotland, home to picturesque historic towns and villages, wide open spaces and glorious scenery.
It is an area that typifies sport in
Scotland. Here you can go cycling and mountain biking along many designated cycle routes in the area, golf on over 30
courses including
Gleneagles and fish in some superb locations on many lochs and rivers.
Try your hand at river rafting, paragliding, kayaking, sailing, climbing, pony trekking, or ski on over 40 kilometres of runs at Glenshee. Lose yourself as you amble along the many designated woodland walks.
There are a plentiful supply of fine Restaurants and Hotels in Perthshire that take pride in their use of local produce including venison, salmon and game.
Traditionally the eastern boundary of Perthshire was Strathmore and from there it extended to
Rannoch and Ben Mor is the west. From north to south, the county extended from the Pass of Drumochter to
Aberfoyle.
It is a county of changing landscapes with mountains and rich farmland. From 1890 to 1975, Perthshire has a top–level government with a two–tier system of local government. This was changed in 1975 under the governmental reorganization when the area west and south of
Killin was transferred to the county of Stirlingshire. Even though the smaller boundaries remained in effect when the two-tier system of local government was abandoned in 1996, when speaking of land registration, the traditional boundaries of Perthshire are still in effect.
The land is quite simply inspirational. The Aberfeldy Waterfalls were where
Robert Burns wrote the song "The Birks o'Aberfeldy".
General Wade saw it as an excellent place to build a bridge over the River Tay, used as a crossing for troops on their way North to control the Highlanders.
The new 60 mile
Cateran Trail follows the route taken by the Caterans, who terrorised and raided through these historic glens.
Festivals and Fairs are in plentiful supply, plus Highland Gatherings, potteries, galleries, crafts and antique shops.
Sample the local whiskies from plenty of distilleries open to the public, including the Glenturret Distillery,
Scotland's oldest.
View glass making and the work of some of
Scotland's finest artists at Ferguson Gallery.
The area is a haven for wildlife, where Ospreys nest at the loch of the Lowes near
Dunkeld and Loch Leven, an important nature reserve for many species of birds. Watch the salmon leaping up the many waterfalls.
Perthshire is steeped in history with
castles and stately homes including Pictish stones in Meigle Museum near
Blairgowrie, Ardoch Roman camp near
Auchterarder, Drummond Castle and gardens, 16
th century Burleigh Castle, Blair Castle and the 14
th Century Cathedral of Dunkeld.
Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in 1567 at Loch Leven Castle.
The waters of
Crieff were well known for their healing powers.
Fortingal was the birthplace of Pontius Pilate, where the famous 3000–year–old Yew tree is situated.
Loch Tay was the site of ancient
Crannogs; you can see a reconstruction of one of these ancient settlements of some 2500 years.
Scone Palace witnessed the crowning of ancient Scottish Kings on the Stone of Destiny. The Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689 was a famous Jacobite victory – you can walk through some spectacular scenery on the Pass of Killiecrankie.
Southern Perthshire Tourism Association The Southern Perthshire Tourism Association represents the area of Auchterarder, Greenloaning, Braco, Blackford, Gleneagles, Glen Devon, Aberuthven, Dunning and Forteviot.
Scotland (AA Road Map Britain S.)
From the experts at the AA this updated road map is all you need for motoring around Scotland. The maps combine clear design and more road detail with an easy to read scale to ensure that you never lose your way. There are also fifteen town plans on the reverse of each map plus an easy to read place-name index. The maps are folded to a handy slim line format and are contained in a durable encapsulated card cover, offering great value for this price.
