For information on tourist attractions and activities in and around Perthshire, please visit our pages on activities and walking.
Perthshire, in central Scotland, a former county, is now part of the district of Perth and Kinross. By area, it is the fourth largest of the old counties in Scotland but has a population exceeding that of the larger counties. Perthshire is the largely the basin and catchment area of the mighty Tay, the longest river in Scotland, which flows 119 miles from the sea to Loch Tay and is one of the country's premier salmon rivers.
The Highland boundary fault runs across Perthshire from Dunkeld in the east, westward to Crieff, Comrie and to the south of the Loch Earn, separating the southern lowlands from the highlands.
The area was long occupied by the Picts. As early as the 8th century, Scone, to the east, became the capital of the Picts and coronations of Scottish kings were held in Scone for over eight hundred years.
Perth
Perth was the royal seat and capital of Scotland until 1437 when James I
of Scotland was murdered. In 1298 Perth was captured and fortified by Edward I
of England. Robert Bruce retook Perth in 1311. The English held Perth again
from 1335 to 1339.
The Church of Saint John the Baptist where the Protestant reformer John Knox
preached his famous sermon against idolatry in 1559 is probably the most famous
landmark in Perth. Also of interest are Saint Ninian's Episcopal Cathedral,
a museum and art gallery.
An excellent web site describing the present-day attractions of Perthshire is to be found at The Perthshire Tourist Board .