Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
Moot Hill
, as its name suggests, was the place where Scottish earls came to swear loyalty
to their king and discuss the affairs of state in an early form of national parliament. In a
symbolic gesture, oak trees from the estate were used in the construction of Scotland's
parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh.
Inside the palace, the library houses one of the foremost collections of porcelain in
the world, with items by Meissen, Sèvres, Chelsea, Derby and Worcester.
Huntingtower Castle
Three miles northwest of Perth on the A85 • April-Sept daily 9.30am-5.30pm; Oct daily 9.30am-4.30pm; Nov-March Mon-Wed, Sat &
Sun 9.30am-4.30pm • £4.50; HS •
W
historic-scotland.gov.uk • Catch bus #13 from South Street to Perth Mart
Nothing like as grand as Scone Palace, but intriguing for its historical connections, is
Huntingtower Castle
. Two three-storey towers formed the original fifteenth- and
sixteenth-century tower house, linked in the seventeenth century by a range to provide
more room. Formerly known as Ruthven Castle, it was here that the Raid of Ruthven
took place in 1582, when the 16-year-old James VI, at the request of William, fourth
Earl of Ruthven, came to the castle only to be held captive by a group of conspirators
demanding the dismissal of favoured royal advisers. he plot failed, and the young
James was released ten months later. Today the castle's chief attractions are its splendid
sixteenth-century painted ceilings in the east tower's main hall.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
PERTH AND AROUND
By train
Perth connects with the main train lines north from
Edinburgh and Glasgow; trains pull in at the station west of
the centre, where Kings Place runs into Leonard Street.
Destinations
Aberdeen (hourly; 1hr 30min-1hr 50min);
Blair Atholl (3-8 daily; 40min); Dundee (hourly; 25min);
Dunkeld (5-8 daily; 20min); Edinburgh (every 1-2hr; 1hr
20min); Glasgow Queen St (at least hourly; 1hr); Inverness
(7-11 daily; 2hr); Pitlochry (7-11 daily; 30min); Stirling
(roughly hourly; 30min).
By bus
Perth is well connected by bus; the main bus
station is just north of the railway station on the opposite
side of Leonard Street.
Destinations
Aberfeldy (hourly; 1hr 25min); Crieff (hourly;
40min); Dundee (every 30min; 1hr 10min); Dunkeld
(hourly; 30min); Edinburgh (hourly; 1hr 40min); Glasgow
(hourly; 1hr 35min); Gleneagles (hourly; 25min); Inverness
(every 2hr; 2hr 45min); Pitlochry (every 2hr; 45min);
Stirling (hourly; 50min).
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
West Mill Street (April-Jul & Sept-Oct Mon-
Sat 9.30am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-3.30pm; Aug Mon-Sat
9.30am-6pm, Sun 10am-4.30pm; Nov-March Mon-Sat
9.30am-4.30pm;
T
01738 450600,
W
perthshire.co.uk).
ACCOMMODATION
Achnacarry Guest House
3 Pitcullen Crescent
T
01738 621421,
W
achnacarry.co.uk.
Victorian B&B a
15min walk from the main drag, on the eastern side of the
Tay. Family rooms
make
it a good opti
on fo
r those travelling
with kids. Doubles
£60
; family rooms
£75
Kinnaird House
5 Marshall Place
T
01738 628021,
W
kinnaird-guesthouse.co.uk.
Smartly furnished B&B in a
Georgian terrace house overlooking South Inch Park, within
easy
reach of the centre. There's also a cosy living room to relax in.
£70
Parklands Hotel
2 St Leonards Bank
T
01738 622451,
W
theparklandshotel.com.
Of the numerous central
hotels in Perth aim for this award-winning place close to
the train station, which has a touch of contemporary
styling with flatscreen TVs an
d wi-fi
in all rooms. It also has
a good restaurant and bistro.
£119
Pitcullen Guest House
17 Pitcullen Crescent
T
01738
626506,
W
pitcullen.co.uk.
Swish, well-run B&B offering
neatly styled en-suite rooms. Little extras like blackout
blinds and in-roo
m frid
ges make it a cut above others in the
same price range.
£70
EATING AND DRINKING
RESTAURANTS
63 Tay Street
63 Tay St
T
01738 441451,
W
63taystreet
.com.
At the top end of Perth's dining scene is this restaurant,
serving classy and modern Scottish food, like Scrabster cod
with red wine. The five-course dinner costs £37.
Lunch:
Thurs-Sat noon-2pm; pre-theatre menu: Tues-Fri
5.45pm-6.30pm; dinner: 6.30pm-9pm.
The Apron Stage
5 King St, Stanley
T
01738 828888.
A homely, fun option just north of town in the village of
Stanley, with bistro dishes rustled up in a tiny kitchen; the
