Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
crowns and the wavy motif found on the family crest. Italian marble statues punctuate
the long lines of the cross, and the overall effect is of exceptional harmony and grace.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE CRIEFF AND AROUND
By bus
Buses for Stirling (7 daily; 55min) arrive and depart from the High Street, near the junction with Hill Street.
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
In the town hall on High Street (April-June
Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 10.30am-3.30pm; July-Aug
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-3.30pm; Sept-
March Mon-Sat 10.30am-3.30/4pm;
T
01764 652578).
Visitor centre
At the bottom of the hill, on Muthill Road
(daily 10am-4.30pm). Incorporates a garden centre, an
exhibition about cattle drovers and the Caithness Glass
visitor centre and factory, which you can tour for free.
ACCOMMODATION
Ì
Barley Bree
6 Willoughby Street, Muthill
T
01764
681451,
W
barleybree.com.
The obvious choice if you
decide to stay in Muthill, a handsome eighteenth-century
village with an ancient church. The rooms are chic and
bright, and the French/Scotti
sh co
oking has a well-
deserved reputation for quality.
£110
Comrie Croft
4 miles west of Crieff, just off the A85
T
01764 670140,
W
comriecroft.com.
Largish bunkhouse/
activity centre set on a farm halfway between Crieff and
Comrie, with its own private fishing loch, mountain-bike
rental and a network of paths and walks; you can also
camp
here, eit
her i
n your o
wn
tent or a Nordic kâta. Dorms
£18
;
doubles
£44;
camping
£7
/person
Crieff Hydro
North of the centre near Crieff Golf Course
T
01764 655555,
W
crieffhydro.com.
The imposing
Crieff
Hydro
is still the grandest place in town, despite the
institutional atmosphere. It
has s
plendid leisure facilities
including a pool and stables.
£175
Galvelmore House
5 Galvelmore Street
T
01764
655721,
W
galvelmore.co.uk.
A friendly B&B close to the
main drag, with a lovely oak-panelled lounge that has a
selection of board games. Ther
e's a
lso a pretty two-
bedroom self-catering apartment.
£68
Ì
Knock Castle
Drummond Terrace
T
01764 650088,
W
knockcastle.com.
Built for a shipping tycoon in 1885,
this grand home is now a luxurious retreat with an
indulgent spa and a restaurant that has panoramic views
over the Perthshire countrysid
e. The
snug ground-floor bar
is also open to non-residents.
£120
EATING AND DRINKING
Delivino
6 King Street
T
01764 655665,
W
delivino
.net.
Just downhill from the tourist o
ce, this is a swish
Italian café serving antipasti, tapas, good pizzas (£6-8),
coffee and cakes. It also has a small but selective wine list.
Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun noon-4pm.
Lounge
1-3 West High Street
T
01764 654407,
W
loungeincrieff.co.uk.
Cosy daytime hangout that mixes
tearoom with tapas bar. Serves good breakfasts, like
smoked salmon and cream cheese croissants (£5.50), plus
soups and burgers.
Daily 11am-9.30pm.
Yann's at Glenearn
Glenearn House, Perth Road
T
01764 650111,
W
yannsatglenearnhouse.com.
The best
bet locally for fine food, with French Alpine dishes (mains
£13-15) from Yann's home province served in a bistro-style
setting. There are attractive rooms here too.
Wed-Fri 6pm-
9pm, Sat & Sun noon-2pm & 6.30-9pm.
SHOPPING
Harrison's Fine Wines
1A Galvelmore Street
T
01764
655016.
The physical face of
W
winestore.co.uk, this shop
stocks everything from Veuve Cliquot to vegan-friendly
reds. There's also a sister shop in nearby Comrie.
Mon-Sat
10am-8pm.
Strathearn Gallery
32 West High Street
T
01764
656100.
This small commercial gallery on the corner of
Galvelmore Street regularly hosts exhibitions that include
ceramics, jewellery and landscape paintings.
Mon-Sat
10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm.
Loch Earn
At the western edge of Strathearn lies
Loch Earn
, a gently lapping Highland loch
dramatically edged by rippling mountains. he A85 runs north along the loch shore from
the village of
St Fillans
, at the eastern tip, to a slightly larger settlement,
Lochearnhead
, at
the western end of the loch, where it meets the A84 linking the Trossachs to Crianlarich
(see p.295). he wide tranquil expanse of Loch Earn is popular for
watersports
,
particularly engine-based pursuits like waterskiing, powerboating and jet skiing.
