Things to Do in Perthshire, Scotland (2026): 25 Places, Towns and Walks

Perthshire is the historic county at the heart of Scotland, now part of the Perth and Kinross council area. It runs from the city of Perth on the River Tay up the A9 to Dunkeld, Pitlochry and Blair Atholl, and west along Loch Tay to Killin. With its big rivers, tall conifers and small stone villages, it is known as Big Tree Country, a name VisitScotland explains on its own Perthshire page.

This guide groups 25 places to visit in Perthshire by area, so you can plan a day trip, a weekend break or a longer road trip from one base. Each entry gives the latest price and opening pattern from an official source. Many Perthshire attractions close or cut their hours between November and March, so a seasonal table further down shows what is open this winter. For a wider plan, see our Scotland weekend breaks and the Skye to Pitlochry leg of our 10-day itinerary.

Updated 13 November 2026. Prices, opening hours and seasons come from the National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland, Atholl Estates, ScotRail and each attraction’s own website. Where a figure is not published, we say so: confirm it when booking or visiting.

Perthshire at a Glance: 25 Places to Visit

Adult prices as published in November 2026. Several castles and gardens in Perthshire are closed until spring 2027; check the seasonal table before you set off.

Perthshire Towns and Villages: Where to Base Yourself

Drive times are approximate and assume good weather. The A9 is the main Highland road north from Perth; the A827 runs west through Aberfeldy and Kenmore to Killin, and the A93 heads north from Blairgowrie into Glenshee. Each base suits different activities and a different part of the area.

• Perth: the city on the River Tay, with the main railway and bus stations, Perth Museum and the widest choice of places to eat and shop in the area. Scone Palace is about 3 mi north.
• Dunkeld and Birnam (about 15 mi north of Perth): two villages facing each other across the 1809 bridge by the Scottish engineer Thomas Telford, with the cathedral, the Hermitage and a railway station.
• Pitlochry (about 27 mi north of Perth): the busiest place in Highland Perthshire, with the dam, the theatre, distilleries and plenty of places to stay.
• Blair Atholl (about 8 mi north of Pitlochry): a village with its own station, Blair Castle and the Falls of Bruar nearby.
• Aberfeldy (about 15 mi from Pitlochry): a small market town in Highland Perthshire on the River Tay, with Dewar’s and the Birks.
• Kenmore (about 7 mi west of Aberfeldy): a village at the east end of Loch Tay, close to the Crannog Centre.
• Crieff and Comrie (about 18 mi west of Perth): the gateway to Strathearn, with the Glenturret and Drummond Castle Gardens.
• Blairgowrie (about 16 mi north-east of Perth): a local hub on the River Ericht, on the road to Glenshee.

Pitlochry and Atholl, Highland Perthshire

Pitlochry, the main town in the north of the county, sits beside the River Tummel and the A9. Everything in this group is within about 11 mi of it, from the dam near the town centre to Blair Atholl and Bruar at the northern end of the Atholl estate, which makes it the easiest part of Highland Perthshire for a first visit.

1. Pitlochry Dam and the Fish Ladder

Pitlochry Dam holds back Loch Faskally on the River Tummel. Its fish ladder was built into the hydro-electric scheme in the early 1950s so that salmon can still swim upstream to spawn, and you can watch the pools from a walkway across the top of the dam.

SSE’s Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre opened in January 2017 and tells the story of hydro power in the north of Scotland, with an exhibition, a coffee shop and a gift shop selling local crafts. From 2 November it opens Wednesday to Sunday, 10am–4.30pm, and closes on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Good to know: The dam is a short walk from the town centre along the river; ring 01796 484111 before a long journey, as hours can change.

2. Pitlochry Festival Theatre and the Explorers Garden

Pitlochry Festival Theatre has staged plays and musicals since 1951. Its buildings sit on an 11-acre site across the river, with Ben Vrackie above, and its dining spaces have river and mountain views for food before a show.

Above the auditorium, the 7-acre Explorers Garden was built in the late 1990s with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as a tribute to Scottish plant hunters. It is closed until April 2027.

Good to know: Opening times change on performance days, so check the week’s hours on its website.

3. Blair Athol Distillery

Blair Athol Distillery is on Perth Road in Pitlochry (PH16 5LY), a short walk from the town centre. Guided visits start from £21 per person, with longer whisky tastings from £65 and £110.

It opens daily from 10am to 5pm from September to May and until 7pm from June to August. Under-8s cannot join, and the route includes a staircase of 21 steps.

Good to know: Dates are released about six months ahead; book in advance in summer.

Edradour Distillery, just outside Pitlochry, says it is closed to the public until further notice, including its shop and tasting bar.

4. Queen’s View

Queen’s View, in Tay Forest Park, looks west along Loch Tummel towards Schiehallion and is the most visited viewpoint in Highland Perthshire. Forestry and Land Scotland notes that Queen Victoria came here in 1866, but historical accounts suggest it was named after Isabella, the first wife of Robert the Bruce.

The site has toilets, accessible toilets and Blue Badge spaces, and parking is £3 a day. The coffee shop and visitor centre are closed for winter and plan to reopen in mid-March 2027; the viewpoint itself stays open.

Good to know: It is about 6 mi west of Pitlochry on the B8019; the road is narrow in places.

5. Pass of Killiecrankie

The National Trust for Scotland looks after this wooded gorge on the River Garry, where the first shots of the Battle of Killiecrankie were fired on 27 July 1689. Paths lead down to Soldier’s Leap, where, the Trust says, a Redcoat soldier jumped 18ft across the river while fleeing the Jacobites, whose army was largely drawn from Highland clans.

The site is open all year, and the car park costs £5. The Trust’s visitor centre and café are closed until further notice, so bring a flask and snacks.

Good to know: From the Garry Bridge nearby, Highland Fling runs a 40m bungee jump from £99.64, plus a bridge swing and night jumps from October to March, for anyone after outdoor activities with a thrill.

6. Blair Castle and Gardens

Blair Castle has been the home of the Atholl family for over seven centuries. Visitors see 30 rooms of 18th-century interiors and Scottish Baronial architecture, and the grounds include a woodland adventure playground and red deer that kids can feed.

The castle is the base of the Atholl Highlanders, which Atholl Estates describes as the only remaining private army in Europe. It is closed for winter and reopens on 23 March 2027. In 2026, house and grounds entry cost £20 online for adults (£21 at the gate) and £12.50 for ages 5–16; the grounds alone cost £10.

Good to know: Blair Atholl station is about a 15-minute walk from the ticket office. Confirm 2027 prices when booking.

7. House of Bruar and the Falls of Bruar

The House of Bruar, about 3 mi west of Blair Atholl on the A9, is a large country store with clothing, homeware, a food hall, an art gallery and a restaurant. The food hall opens Monday to Sunday from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

A path behind the store climbs through the gorge past two stone bridges and a series of falls. Walkhighlands rates the circuit at 2.5km (1.5 miles), with 150m of ascent, taking 1–1.5 hours. Robert Burns wrote The Humble Petition of Bruar Water after his visit in 1787.

Good to know: The walk to the falls starts right behind the store, so it suits a stop on a drive up the A9.

Aberfeldy, Loch Tay and Glen Lyon

West of the A9, the A827 follows the Tay to Aberfeldy, then the loch to Kenmore and Killin. Glen Lyon branches off at Fortingall. This is the quieter side of Highland Perthshire, with mountains, a rebuilt crannog and some of the longest walks and outdoor activities in the area.

8. Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery

Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery (PH15 2EB) is a 0.7-mile walk from the town centre of Aberfeldy. It is the only distillery built by the Dewar family, and its experiences range from a 30-minute tasting at £15 to the 90-minute Dewar’s Aberfeldy Experience from £25.

From April to October it opens Monday to Saturday 10am–6pm and Sunday 12pm–4pm. From November to March it opens Monday to Saturday 10am–4pm and closes on Sundays. Production pauses for about a month each winter, when some areas may be closed.

Good to know: There is a coffee shop on site, and drivers can ask for a takeaway dram instead of a tasting.

9. Birks of Aberfeldy

The Birks is a steep, wooded gorge on the Moness Burn just south of the town centre. A circuit of 3.5km (2.25 miles) climbs one side, crosses a bridge above the main falls and returns down the other, and Walkhighlands suggests allowing 1–2 hours.

Robert Burns wrote the song The Birks of Aberfeldy in 1787 after seeing the Falls of Moness. The walk starts from the upper level of the Birks car park, or you can follow a path from the square.

Good to know: The path has steps and drops, and can be slippery after rain.

10. Castle Menzies

Castle Menzies at Weem (PH15 2JD), just across the Tay from Aberfeldy, was rescued as a ruin in 1957 by the Menzies Clan Society. A charitable trust now runs it as a visitor attraction and clan centre, with a walled garden and the Old Kirk of Weem.

Its 2026 season ran from 3 April until late October. Adults paid £16 for the castle and grounds or £14 for the castle only, and hours were 10.30am–4.30pm Monday to Saturday (closed Fridays) and 11am–4.30pm on Sundays.

Good to know: It is closed in winter; check the 2027 dates before you plan a visit.

11. Scottish Crannog Centre

A crannog is a prehistoric house built over water. The Scottish Crannog Centre has moved to a new site at Dalerb on the north shore of Loch Tay (PH15 2NX), where it has built an Iron Age village and a new crannog to show how people lived here 2,500 years ago.

Entry includes a guided tour of the collection, craft demonstrations and hands-on activities. Adults pay £16.50, under-16s £11 and a family of two adults and two kids £44. The site opens 10am–5pm and serves food from 9.30am; it is closed on 18 and 19 November 2026.

Good to know: Follow the signs from Kenmore; there are spaces on site, and the coffee shop and play park are open to everyone, not just ticket holders.

12. Fortingall Yew

The Fortingall Yew grows inside a walled enclosure in the kirkyard of the village of Fortingall, at the mouth of Glen Lyon. Estimates of its age vary widely: some put it at 2,000–3,000 years, while Forestry and Land Scotland considers it to be 5,000 years old.

Fortingall is the gateway to Glen Lyon, a long, narrow glen that runs west into the hills, reached by a single-track road.

Good to know: There is no charge; the kirkyard is on the road from Kenmore to Glen Lyon.

13. Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve

Ben Lawers, above the north shore of the loch, is the highest mountain in the central Highlands at 1,214m (3,984ft) and the 10th highest Munro in Scotland. The National Trust for Scotland manages almost 4,500 hectares of the Lawers and Tarmachan ranges, with seven Munros and rare arctic-alpine plants.

For gentler activities, the Edramucky Trail is a 2.2km loop of about 45 minutes to an hour. The reserve is open year-round for walks and other outdoor activities, and the car park costs £4.

Good to know: Mountain weather changes quickly; take full hill kit for the summits.

Dunkeld and Birnam

Dunkeld and Birnam lie 15 mi north of Perth at the southern edge of Highland Perthshire, on either side of the River Tay. Dunkeld and Birnam station is on the Highland Main Line, so this is the easiest part of the county to explore without a car.

14. The Hermitage

The Hermitage is a National Trust for Scotland site on the River Braan, a short drive or walk from Dunkeld. Paths lead under tall Douglas firs to Ossian’s Hall, a folly built in 1757 overlooking the Black Linn Falls.

The Trust has refurbished the hall’s mirrors and sliding panels to recreate the illusions of its original design. Entry costs nothing and the site is open all year; the car park costs £5.

Good to know: Spaces fill up on autumn weekends, so arrive early or walk from the village.

15. Dunkeld Cathedral

Dunkeld Cathedral stands on the bank of the Tay in Cathedral Street. Historic Environment Scotland records that King Kenneth MacAlpin brought relics of St Columba to Dunkeld in 849, a key moment in early Scottish church history, and Columba became the patron saint of its monastery.

The roofless west end is closed while conservation works continue, but the grounds are open. The former choir at the east end is still used as the local parish church and is managed by the Church of Scotland.

Good to know: Allow a few minutes to walk across Telford’s bridge to the village of Birnam.

16. Beatrix Potter Experience, Birnam Arts

Beatrix Potter’s family rented Dalguise House near Dunkeld for summer holidays between 1871 and 1881. Birnam Arts on Station Road (PH8 0DS), a community-owned arts centre, has a Beatrix Potter exhibition and outdoor trail, open daily 10.30am–3.30pm with last entry at 3pm, for £5 per person.

The building also has a café (daily 9am–5pm), a gallery with monthly shows and a programme of live music and drama.

Good to know: The Birnam Oak, an ancient oak linked with the Birnam Wood of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, is a short walk away by the river.

17. Loch of the Lowes

The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes reserve, 2 mi north-east of Dunkeld, covers 130 hectares of woodland and freshwater loch. Ospreys nest about 150m from the hides from April to August, beavers are most often seen from April to September, and red squirrels visit all year.

The visitor centre opens 10.30am–5pm daily from 1 March to 31 October, and 10.30am–4pm Friday to Sunday from 1 November to 28 February. Adults pay £6.50 and concessions £6; Trust members go in at no charge.

Good to know: Sat-navs can send you to the wrong end of the loch with PH8 0HH; the Trust suggests PH8 0ES.

You can also walk from Dunkeld on the 2-mile Fungarth Path.

Perth and Scone

Perth is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Edinburgh on ScotRail services. It has the most to do in bad weather, with short hill paths on the edge of the city for drier days.

18. Scone Palace

Scone Palace, about 3 mi north of Perth, calls itself the Crowning Place of Scottish Kings. The Stone of Destiny, on which Scottish kings were crowned, once sat on Moot Hill in its grounds, which also include the Murray Star Maze.

The palace is closed from 1 November 2026 until 24 March 2027. Its grounds and coffee shop stay open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10am–3pm, from 5 November to 5 December 2026 and from 4 February to 20 March 2027, with entry by donation. Everything is closed from 5 December to 3 February.

Good to know: Pre-booked entry is cheaper and gives fast-track access; confirm 2027 prices when booking.

19. Perth Museum and the Stone of Destiny

Perth Museum opened in the former City Hall on Saturday 30 March 2024 as the new home of the Stone of Destiny, the ancient coronation stone of Scottish kings, used most recently for King Charles III in May 2023. Entry to the galleries costs nothing, and so does the Stone of Destiny Experience, a timed audio-visual show booked at the front desk.

Winter hours from October to April are 10am–5pm Monday to Saturday and 11am–4pm on Sunday. It closes on 25 and 26 December 2026 and from 1 to 12 January 2027 for maintenance.

Good to know: Last entry to the Stone is 4.40pm Monday to Saturday and 3.40pm on Sunday.

20. Kinnoull Hill

Kinnoull Hill rises on the east bank of the Tay as part of Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park, the first woodland park designated in Scotland, in 1991. Forestry and Land Scotland describes trails through mature beech and pine to views over the river, and there is an arboretum.

Kinnoull Tower, a folly, stands on the clifftop above the Tay. An ancient right of way called the Coronation Road links the forest to Scone.

Good to know: There is no charge, and the hill is on the edge of the city.

21. Branklyn Garden

Branklyn is a 2-acre hillside plot in Perth, begun in 1922 with seeds collected by plant hunters and now cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. Its collection is strongest in rhododendrons, alpines and peat-bed plants, and it holds National Collections of Meconopsis (blue poppies) and Cassiope.

Adults pay £11 and families £33. It is closed from 2 November 2026 to 9 February 2027, opens daily 10am–4pm from 10 to 14 February, then closes again until it reopens daily, 10am–5pm, from 22 March to 31 October 2027.

Good to know: Spring is when the poppies and alpines flower.

Crieff and Strathearn

Strathearn is the broad valley of the River Earn west of Perth, with Crieff and Comrie as its main towns and plenty of local estates to explore.

22. Drummond Castle Gardens

Drummond Castle Gardens, south of Crieff, are formal Scottish gardens that date back to the 17th century and were terraced in the 19th. The formal layout you see today was replanted in the 1950s and keeps a beech tree planted by Queen Victoria in 1842. The terraces have appeared in the film Rob Roy and in the Outlander series; the castle itself is not open to the public.

They open from 1 May to 31 October, 11am–4pm, with last entry at 3pm. Adults pay £12.50, ages 5–16 £5 and families £30.

Good to know: Buy entry online or at the gate during the open season.

23. The Glenturret

The Glenturret, on the edge of Crieff, describes itself as the oldest working distillery in Scotland. Its 60-minute guided experience costs £20 for adults, £18 for over-65s and £10 for ages 8–17.

The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant on site holds two stars in the 2026 Michelin Guide; its tasting menu starts from £220 per guest and must be booked.

Good to know: The Dram Bar opens daily from 11am for anyone not booked on a visit.

Blairgowrie and Glenshee

North-east of Perth, the A93 runs through Meikleour and Blairgowrie and then climbs to the Cairnwell pass, the route to Braemar and the Cairngorms.

24. Meikleour Beech Hedge

Beside the A93 just south of Blairgowrie, the Meikleour Beech Hedge was planted in 1745. Guinness World Records lists it as the tallest and longest hedge on earth, at 30m (98 ft) high and 530m (1,740 ft) long.

In autumn the leaves turn copper and brown, which is when many photographers come.

Good to know: Meikleour Arms, in the village, serves local food daily from 10am.

25. Glenshee

Glenshee Snowsports Centre, on the A93 north of Blairgowrie, says it is the largest ski area in Scotland. The chairlift is closed for sightseeing from 2 November until the ski season, which it plans to open on 19 December 2026, with lift passes on sale online from 1 December.

Outside the snow season, the A93 is a scenic drive over the Cairnwell pass on the way to Braemar and the Cairngorms.

Good to know: Snow cover varies; check the centre’s daily report before you set off.

What Is Open in Perthshire in Winter 2026–27

Many Perthshire attractions close between November and March, as at many rural sites in Scotland. This table sums up what each official site says for this winter, so you can plan local activities around the closures, and it covers both Highland Perthshire and the Perth area.

Perthshire Events

• The Enchanted Forest, Faskally Wood near Pitlochry, part of Tay Forest Park: a night-time light and sound show. The 2026 run marked its 25th anniversary, and the 2027 event runs from 7 October to 7 November, with tickets on sale now.
• Atholl Gathering and Highland Games, Blair Castle: Sunday 30 May 2027, opened by the Atholl Highlanders, whose parade is on Saturday 29 May 2027.
• Pitlochry Highland Games: one of the traditional Scottish highland games, first held in 1852 and usually staged on the second Saturday in September (12 September in 2026). Local pipe bands and heavy events are part of the programme.
• Pitlochry Festival Theatre: plays, musicals and concerts through the season; see its programme for dates.

Getting to and Around Perthshire

• By rail: ScotRail’s average journey time from Edinburgh Waverley is about 1 hour 32 minutes to Perth and about 2 hours to Pitlochry, with fares from £15.20 one way to Pitlochry. Highland Main Line services also stop at Dunkeld and Birnam and at Blair Atholl. See our rail day trips from Edinburgh for other routes.
• By coach: Scottish Citylink runs coaches from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Perth, Pitlochry and Inverness along the A9; our Edinburgh bus trips guide has more.
• By local bus: to reach Aberfeldy without a car, Dewar’s suggests the number 24 bus from Pitlochry to Ballinluig and then the number 23. Rural local services are infrequent, so check Traveline Scotland first.
• By car: the A9 links Perth, Dunkeld, Pitlochry and Blair Atholl. Driving is the easiest way to reach Queen’s View, Kenmore, Glen Lyon and Glenshee.
• With a guide: Dewar’s lists Timberbush and Rabbie’s trips from Edinburgh, and our whisky tours from Edinburgh and Highlands tours pages compare more options.

A Two-Day Perthshire Road Trip

• Day 1, Perth to Pitlochry: Perth Museum in the morning, Scone Palace in season, then north on the A9 to the Hermitage and Dunkeld. Finish at the dam in Pitlochry and stay the night.
• Day 2, Pitlochry to the loch: Queen’s View, Killiecrankie and Blair Castle (or the Falls of Bruar in winter), then cut across to Aberfeldy for the Birks and on to the Crannog Centre at Kenmore.
• With a third day: add Fortingall and Ben Lawers, or head south to Crieff for the Glenturret and Drummond Castle Gardens. Heading back south? Our Pitlochry to Edinburgh drive and Stirling guide cover the route.

Where to Eat in Perthshire

• Hettie’s Tearoom, 93–95 Atholl Road, Pitlochry PH16 5AB: a tearoom known for hand-blended loose-leaf teas, cakes and afternoon tea.
• The Old Mill Inn, Pitlochry: a family-run inn in an 18th-century former mill, with a bistro, a bar and 13 rooms.
• ARAN Bakery, 2 Atholl Street, Dunkeld PH8 0AR: Flora Shedden’s local bakery, open Monday to Saturday 9.30am–3.30pm and Sunday 10am–3.30pm.
• Three Lemons, 32 Dunkeld Street, Aberfeldy PH15 2AB: a bar and dining room for lunch or dinner.
• Ailean Chraggan, Weem: a small local inn with a dining room, about 600m from Castle Menzies.
• Meikleour Arms, Meikleour: a 19th-century inn serving French and Scottish country food with produce from its own estate, open daily from 10am.
• Hinterland, Perth city centre: a local independent coffee shop that roasts its own coffee and serves breakfast and lunch.
• House of Bruar Restaurant, Bruar: breakfast until 11am and lunch from midday, daily 9am–5pm.

Hours change with the seasons, and some rural places close early in winter. Ring ahead for dinner, particularly in the smaller villages.

Tips for Visiting Perthshire

• The Enchanted Forest runs through October, so book rooms in Pitlochry early for those dates.
• Opening hours and prices change from one year to the next, so check each official site before you travel.
• Check the winter table above: several castles close from November to March, so plan indoor activities such as Perth Museum for wet winter days.
• Several National Trust for Scotland and Forestry and Land Scotland sites charge £3–£5 for parking, so keep a card handy.
• Midges (small biting insects) are worst on still summer evenings near water, so pack repellent.
• Read our guides on the best time to visit Scotland and what to wear in Scotland before you pack, as Scottish weather changes fast.

Where to Stay in Perthshire

Pitlochry has the most hotels and B&Bs in Highland Perthshire and is the obvious base for a first trip; Dunkeld suits a quieter stay with a railway station, and Aberfeldy or Kenmore put you close to the loch.

• Fonab Castle Hotel, Pitlochry: a five-star castle with 42 rooms on the banks of Loch Faskally.
• Pitlochry Hydro Hotel: a large Victorian building above Pitlochry with a leisure club and indoor pool.
• Royal Dunkeld Hotel, Atholl Street: a former coaching inn built around 1810.
• Dunkeld House Hotel: a four-star country house on a 280-acre estate by the Tay.
• Holiday homes: search Airbnb rentals in Perthshire for cottages and lodges.
• Budget for the trip with our Scotland trip cost guide.