Holiday (vacation) attractions in and around Perthshire

Perthshire is a great holiday 'play ground' we cannot possibly list everything, but here is some days out, culture, sporting activities and retail therapy to give you a flavour of Scottish heritage and visitor attractions in Perthshire. For animal lovers, Blair Drummond Safari Park, Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre, Rankeilour Deer Park, Deep Sea World, Pitlochry Dam and Buchanty Spout Fish Ladder, and Drummond Trout Fishery are all within easy reach. If you want to travel through to Edinburgh and Glasgow - which is only about an hour and a quarter away, have numerous museums, galleries and historic buildings to visit. Edinburgh Zoo, Dynamic Earth and Glasgow Science Centre will intrigue all aged family members.

Historic Buildings, Castles and Palaces


Scone Palace Scone Palace was once the crowning place of Scottish Kings and is now the home of Earls of Mansfield. Located just outside Perth at Scone on the A93 Braemar Road, sign posted Blairgowrie and Braemar. There is a lots for visitors to see during a tour of Scone Palace - and it is a must for tourists staying in Perthshire, you can view the main State Rooms where The Earl of Mansfield has the largest Orchid Collection in the country and reveals china, clocks, ivories and magnificent French furniture. Scone Palace gardens is Perthshire's only Maze, with over 2000 beech trees - in the shape of the Murray Star - the gardens are beautiful.

Visit Scone Palace: www.scone-palace.net

Distance from The holiday cottage in Crieff: 45 mins (approx)




Drummond Castle Gardens

A mile of beech-lined avenue leads to Drummond Castle and Gardens which is one of the most beautiful formal gardens in Europe - magnificent Italianate parterre gardens. They were first laid out in the early 17th century. Drummond Castle is on the edge of Crieff - a great cycle ride and place to picinc. There are peacocks strolling the gardens Drummond castle gardens presents a tremendous day out for families as well as garden lovers - my children particularly enjoy playing hide and seek there!

Website: www.drummondcastlegardens.co.uk

Distance from The holiday cottage in Crieff: 3 mins (approx)





Huntingtower Castle (now owned by Historic Scotland)

The House of Ruthven, Huntingtower Castle comprises two fine and complete tower houses, visitors to Huntingtower castle can climb to the top of both of the original buildings. The hall of the eastern tower has a fine painted ceiling. Huntingtower castle is just on the outskirts of Perth, close to Perth Mart. It is just off the main Perth to Crieff Road and there is teh Huntingtower Hotel close by.

Distance from The holiday cottage in Crieff: 20 mins (approx)












Doune Castle (now owned by Historic Scotland)

Doune castle - an impressive fortress was built in the late 14th century for Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. Heading south West from Crieff, on the Trossachs trail, Doune Castle is a popular venue for tourist to visit.

Distance from The holiday cottage in Crieff: 40 mins (approx)








Blair Castle

Blair Castle is Scotland's most visited privately-owned historic house, the traditional home of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl. Blair Castle is near the village of Blair Atholl, 8 miles from Pitlochry. During the summer The Blair Horse Trials are hosted on the estate.

Website: www.blair-castle.co.uk

Distance from The holiday cottage in Crieff: 55 mins (approx)



Walks, Beaches & Mountains accessible from Perthshire

Loch Earn

Loch Earn is a centre for fishing and water-sports: water skiing, canoeing and sailing. The winds that blow across the loch create an unusual tide like effect. Fantastic tuition is available for water sports, and cycle hire is also available. Many people camp on the shores of Lochearn and it is a popular place for walking and picnicing.

Distance from the holiday cottage: 35 mins (approx)

Loch Tummel

Loch tummel is 8 miles long. The nearby Queen's View is one of the most photographed views in Scotland. Great forest walks and superb canadian canoeing - our family often take the canoe and a barbeque for a day of 'swallows and amazons' - Perthshire in all its glory!



Distance from Crieff holiday cottage: 3/4 hour (approx)

Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre (Comrie)

A wonderful hill side setting behind Comrie, Auchingarrich nestles amid woodland walks and has many wild animals roaming in their cages. There is a wild bird hatchery, where you can handle newly born fowl, and many animals such as chickens running about amongst the guests who are visiting. There is a childrens adventure playground and a family picnic site. You can buy animal food to feed various of the animals as you do your tour. This is a wonderful family days entertainment.

Blair Drummond Safari Park (near Stirling)

There are lots of exciting animals at Blair Drummond Safari Park - Wild Animal Reserves, a pets farm, view the Sea Lion show and you can even see the only elephants in Scotland! A great hit with children is the adventure playground and giant Astraglide, the boat rides and the very popular ‘Flying Fox’ ! There is a barbeque area where families and groups can have a picnic.

Visit Blair Drmmond Safari Park - an account of a great day out by on of our Guests.

Skiing at Glenshee

Glenshee Ski Centre is one of the UK's most extensive skiing and snowboarding areas - as a family we have had some of the best days skiing - topping days in Europe!

Deep Sea World

Deep Sea World has the world's longest moving walkway where you can see giant rays and sharks. There are free talks and activity sessions and for the really adventurous you can dive with sharks! Sign-posted from the Forth Road Bridge.

Website: www.deepseaworld.co.uk

Distance from Crieff holiday cottage: 1hr 10 mins mins (approx)

Crieff Visitors' Centre

The centre has an amazing garden centre, a restaurant, pottery and paperweight factory shop, and a Scottish shop - stocking all kinds of local Scottish goods. The Highland Drovers Exhibition - 'Follow in the footsteps of the Cattle Drovers and experience the life and times of the people who made Crieff the crossroads of Scotland at the turn of the 18th Century'.

Distance from Milton holiday cottage: 40 mins (approx)

Tullibardine Distillery (20min), Wallace Monument (Stirling), Stirling Castle, Falkirk Wheel (45 minutes), Edinburgh Zoo, Ben Chonzie- munroe
- Fishing
- Drummond Castle Gardens
- Innerpeffray Library

Crieff Highland Games

Drover's Tryst

The Ceramic Experience

Glenturret Distillery - The Famous Grouse Experience