Perthshire Scotland

Returned today to Perthshire, which is not the best known of Scottish regions, but it is one of the best areas from which to tour Scotland. Here are just a very few of the attractions in Perthshire.

Scone Palace. 19th century restoration of 16th century and earlier buildings, the home of the Stone of Destiny now housed in Edinburgh Castle.

Perthshire Visitor Centre. Tel: 01738-787696 Incorporating the Macbeth Experience, restaurant and shops.

Castle Menzies. Aberfeldy. 16th century fortified tower house.

Fowlis Wester. St Bean's Church 13th Century. 8th Century Pictish carved stones.

Blair Castle. Turreted baronial castle dating from 1269. Home to the Duke of Atholl and the Atholl Highlanders.

The Bruar Falls. 3 miles to the west of Blair Atholl River Bruar cascades down through rocky chasms and over great gleaming slabs of granite, once visited by Robert Burns.

House of Bruar. Whether you're looking for the elegant country look or just a great family day out, House of Bruar has something for you. If you ever get past the food hall.

The Pass of Killiecrankie and the Soldier's Leap. Splended wooded gorge with the famous Soldier's Leap, a 54ft jump made by one of Mackay's soldiers to escape from the Highlanders.

Comrie Earthquake House. Built in 1874 to house one of the earliest seismometers in the world, still has a modern working instrument.

Drummond Trout Farm and Fishery. Tel: 01764-670500 Feed the fish, enjoy the views and wildlife or catch your supper.

Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre. Tel: 01764-679469 Lovely wildlife centre set in 100 acres of beautiful Perthshire hills.

Abernethy Round Tower. Slender tapering tower, 74ft high, dates from the 9th century.

Crieff Visitor Centre. Tel: 01764-654014 Craft centre well known for its paperweights and pottery.

Drummond Castle Gardens. Tel: 01764-681550 One of the finest formal gardens in Europe. Created in the early 17th century.

The Famous Grouse Distillery. Tel: 01764-656565 Scotland's Oldest Distillery. Home of The Glenturret single malt.

Innerpeffray Library The oldest public library in Scotland, founded in 1690.

Stuart Crystal. Tel : 01764-654004 Crystal and china emporium on the outskirts of Crieff.

The Hermitage at Dunkeld. Mixed conifer and deciduous woodlands with folly built in 1758. Lovely walks, near Dunkeld.

Loch of the Lowes. Nature Reserve where ospreys can be seen from a hide.

Dunkeld. National Trust Houses and Ell Shop 20 Houses in Dunkeld dating from 1689.

Balvaird Castle. Castle ruins used in the filming of Macbeth.

Kenmore. The Scottish Crannog Centre. Tel: 01887-830583 Travel back in time 2,500 years to see how crannog dwellers lived.

Killin. Ben Lawers, Perthshire's highest mountain (3984ft) with views from the Atlantic to the North Sea.

Kinross. RSPB Vane Farm On the southern shores of Loch Leven discover the many variety of migratory birds.

Loch Leven Castle. Castle ruins where Mary, Queen of Scotswas imprisoned in 1567.

Muthill. Folk Museum Museum depicting life in the village from by gone days.

The Black Watch Regimental Museum. Tel: 01738-621281 Housed in Balhousie Castle, Perth.

Cluny House Gardens. Cluny House, Aberfeldy. Woodland garden with many specimen trees, shrubs and rhododendrons.

Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park. Woodland walks and views across Perth to the Tay and beyond.

Perth Theatre. Perth's Repertory Theatre with restaurant and bar.

Bell's Cherrybank Garden. Garden devoted to Scotland's ubiquitous shrub.

Branklyn Garden. Wonderfull two acres of garden in the country.

Perth Race Course. Tel: +44(0)1738 551597 at Scone Palace Park.

Edradour Distillery. Tel: 01796-472095 Scotland's smallest distillery and last one to produce a handcrafted malt.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Drama, concerts and foyer events.