Perth, Scotland
A weekend in the old country town of Perthshire
Photos/words © urban75, June 2005 (updated Feb 2007)

Perth (or (Peairt in Scottish Gaelic) sits on the banks of the River Tay, and serves as the administrative headquarters of Perth and Kinross council.

Formerly the historic capital of the Kingdom of Scotland and the county town of the former county of Perthshire, it even lost its 'city' designation in the 1990s.

We visited for a friend's wedding and had a lovely weekend - it's a beautiful place to visit!


Perth railway station. A substantial affair sporting 7 platforms, the station provides bay platforms, three through platforms for trains to/from Inverness and two through platforms for trains to/from Dundee.

The station was designed by Sir William Tite and has suffered some rationalisation over the years, with the large overall roof being reduced in size.


Salutation Hotel, 34 South St, Perth, PH2 8PH. Dating back to 1699, Bonnie Prince Charlie used the hotel which is reputed to be one of Scotland's oldest established hotels.


View across the Tay which flows through the heart of Perth.


Looking north from West Bridge.




Old toll building on the east side of West Bridge.


Another view across the Tay.


To the south of the town lies Friarton or Moncrieffe Island, originally only accessible via a ford, but not connected to the mainland by a railway bridge.

The island, once inhabited, was prone to flooding and in February 17, 1814 a family was rescued from rising tides by crossing the river by walking along the broken ice on its surface.
» Friarton Island panorama




Dedicated to the work of Scottish colourist John Duncan Fergusson (1874-1961), the Fergusson Gallery was saved from closure by a £900,000 grant in 2003 and now houses 200 of his paintings as well as letters, catalogues and sculptures.

Housed in a former 1832 waterworks, the entire upper storey consists of 192 ornamented cast iron plates and the building is now A listed.


Greyfriars graveyard, Perth. Built on land formerly occupied by a Franciscan friary founded in around 1460, the graveyard has been restored and contains headstones dating back hundreds of years


The collection of 18th-century headstones in the graveyard is considered to be of international importance, and feature striking imagery, including winged souls rising up to heaven, skulls, crossed bones and hourglasses.


'Meet me there.'