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Area Guide
Please scroll down and select the region you are interested in, or click the map to use the active map page.

Perth
The city of Perth enjoys a beautiful position on the banks of the River Tay, just where it starts to widen on the last stages of its journey to the sea.

Scone
Scone lies just a few miles to the north east of Perth and comprises of two districts, old Scone and New Scone.

The Carse of Gowrie and Errol
The Carse of Gowrie is a rich, farming areas that spreads out along the north bank of the River Tay as it flows from Perth to Dundee. It is bordered to the north by the Sidlaw Hills and the Braes of the Carse.

Kinross
Lying only 25 miles to the north of Edinburgh, Kinross-shire traditionally stretched out around historic Loch Leven to form the second smallest county in Scotland until it was merged with Perthshire in the 1970s.

Loch Leven
Loch Leven is the largest lowland loch in Scotland and is a designated natural reserve that attracts around 15,000 geese and wildfowl every winter.

Milnathort and The Lomond Hills
Milnathort is a small town within walking distance of Kinross, with which it shares a friendly rivalry.

Glen Devon
To the west of Kinross lies a series of small villages such as Crook of Devon, Rumbling Bridge and Powmill that centre around their village shop and local hotel/bar. This is great walking country – nowhere more so than in spectacular Glen Devon, a real Highland glen in the Ochil Hills only 20 miles or so north of Edinburgh.

Glenfarg
Glenfarg is the traditional pass through the hills from Kinross northwards to Perth. The M90 motorway now links the two towns, but you can follow a more scenic alternative route along the old road through the glen.

Crieff
The history of Crieff dates back to Roman times when it was the main north-south crossing on the broad River Earn. Crieff has always been a key link between the Highlands and Lowlands.

Amulree and The Sma’ Glen
From Crieff, the Perthshire Tourist Route runs north past the popular Foulford Inn, famous for its folk music sessions, to the wild and spectacular Sma’ Glen, which is reputed to be the burial place of Ossian, the legendary Celtic bard. Look out for Ossian’s Stone at the northern end of the Glen.

Glenalmond and East Strathearn
The countryside to the east of Crieff is largely rich farmland nestling between the River Earn and the River Almond.

Blairgowrie
Blairgowrie and its sister community of Rattray form the second largest town in Perthshire with a population of around 8,000. The town sits on the banks of the River Ericht, which once powered a dozen spinning mills. Keathbank Mill was the last to close in 1979.

Meikleour and The Five Lochs
Meikleour is a small village five miles south of Blairgowrie that is famed for the Meikleour Beech Hedge, officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest hedge in the world. This was planted in 1746 and now measures 600m long and 30m high. It is located alongside the main A93 road with parking and interpretational panels telling the story.

Strathhardle
Strathhardle is a lovely river valley lying off to the west of the A93 north of Blairgowrie. A road runs through the area from Bridge of Cally to lonely Glen Brerachan and the popular resort town of Pitlochry.

Alyth and Glenisla
The picturesque farming town of Alyth is known to have existed for at least 1,000 years. William the Lion, King of Scotland from 1143-1214, signed a number of charters in the town and it is known that Christian missionaries established a presence in the area from the 6th century onwards.

Coupar Angus
The town of Coupar Angus grew up around Cistercian Abby that was established in 1164. At one time this was one of the major religious centres in the whole of Scotland.

Meigle
Meigle is a small village to the west of Coupar Angus where Meigle Museum houses a magnificent collection of 25 sculptured monuments of the Celtic Christian period.

Glamis
A couple of miles further on from Meigle, the village of Glamis is built beside the magnificent Glamis Castle, the childhood home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Glenshee
The name Glenshee means ‘the fairy glen’, and it[‘s one of Scotland’s most popular ski areas.

Pitlochry
Pitlochry and Highland Perthshire lie in the exact geographical centre of Scotland. Perhaps it is this accessible location as well as the magnificent local scenery that has made this one of Scotland’s most popular holiday areas since the 19th century.

Blair Atholl
Blair Atholl is a large Highland village lying just off the A9 about 7 miles north of Pitlochry.

Killiecrankie
Just to the south of Blair Atholl, the Pass of Killiecrankie was the site of the famous Jacobite battle in 1689.

Rannoch
Perhaps the best description of Rannoch can be found in the book ‘Perth and Kinross – The Big County’ by Jeremy Duncan, who writes, ‘Neither the speed or comfort of the car nor the few but well surfaced roads can suppress the sense of barely tamed wilderness that is Rannoch, for the area has only been part of civilised Scotland since the mid eighteenth century. Before this time it was beyond any law or jurisdiction and inhabited by outlaws and desperate men.’

Strathtummel & Tummel Bridge
The River Tummel flows east out of Loch Rannoch into Loch Tummel before it turns south into Loch Faskally on its way to loin the River Tay. Strathtummel is one of the most beautiful parts of Perthshire’s Big Tree Country with ever changing colours throughout all the seasons.

Dunkeld
Dunkeld and Birnam are two small, quintessentially Scottish towns with a combined population around 1,600 set on opposite banks of the River Tay amid magnificent hills and forests.

Birnam
Birnam is somewhat smaller than its neighbour and of much more recent origin. Although Birnam Wood is famously mentioned in Shakespear’s Macbeth, the town itself dated from Victorian times having been built with the coming of the railway. The seven arched Dunkeld Bridge built across the Tay by Thomas Telford in 1809 links it to its neighbour.

Bankfoot
To the south of Dunkeld, the sleepy village of Bankfoot houses the shops and restaurant of the Perthshire Visitor Centre, where the audio-visual Macbeth Experience compares the truth about the ancient Scottish Kings with the rather more fanciful tales of William Shakespeare. Next door is the Scottish Liqueur Centre, where you can enjoy tutored tastings of original hand made Scottish liqueurs.

Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy is once of Scotland’s best-known holiday tows and offers a complete antidote to modern day stresses and strains. However, Aberfeldy is a fairly new community (in Scottish terms), having been established as recently as the late 18^th century.

Glen Lyon
Glen Lyon has been described as ‘the longest and loneliest and loveliest glen in Scotland’. Many of the ley-lines in Scotland are reputed to meet in the glen giving it a magical spiritual atmosphere.

Grandtully and Strathtay
The upper reaches of the River Tay head east from Aberfeldy to Ballinluig where the river turns to the south. The river is at its most beautiful here and along its banks lie a series of attractive villages and places of interest.

Weem and Fortingall
The village of Weem lies on the opposite bank of the Tay from Aberfeldy and dates back to at least the 13^th century, although St. Cuthbert is said to have built an oratory at Weem Rock in the 7^th century. A few hundred metres to the west, Castle Menzies is a fine example of a 16^th century tower house that welcomes visitors from March to October while the adjacent House of Menzies is a treasure trove open all year round specialising in contemporary Scottish art and fine new world wines.

Auchterarder
Auchterarder, Gleneagles and The Ochils lie on the southern side of Perthshire, less than an hour’s drive from the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Here is where the lowlands of Central Scotland start to give way to the spectacular scenery of the Highlands.

Gleneagles
The name Glen eagles derives not from birds but from the Gaelic ‘eaglais’ meaning church. It is now the name of one of the worlds great hotels located just two miles to the west of Auchterarder.

Dunning and Forteviot
The charming, small villages of Dunning and Forteviot lie a few miles to the east of Auchterarder. Both boast long and fascinating histories.

Braco and Ardoch
Braco is a small, friendly village lying a couple of miles off the A9 to the west of Auchterarder. It sits on the Perthshire Tourist Route that runs from Stirling to Pitlochry by way of Crieff and Aberfeldy.

Blackford and Greenloaning
Blackford and Greenloaning are two small villages that lie beside the main A9 road to the west of Auchterarder. Greenloaning has grown considerably in recent years as new commuter housing has been built. It remains a good spot to head off up the Ochil Hills towards the wide, open spaces of Sheriffmuir, site of a famous battle in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. More recently it was home to the much loved Hercules the Bear who lived with a past owner of a remote inn on top of the moors.

Muthill
Muthill is a sizable conservation village lying between Auchterarder and Crieff. Its name means either ‘hill of meeting’ or ‘soft place’ depending on which historian you believe. The village contains no less than 96 listed buildings including some fine examples of 18^th century Scottish vernacular architecture.