The Perfect Perthshire Roadtrip

If you’ve got a spare day in Scotland, how about the perfect Perthshire roadtrip?

Almost every time I take friends on a trip in Scotland, I start with the very heart of Scotland – Big Tree Country. If you’re looking to go on a roadtrip from Edinburgh or Glasgow then Perthshire is the perfect location. No doubt if you’re heading into the Highlands then you’ll be driving up the A9 anyway. Why not pick a few stops from this list of things to do in Perthshire?

There is so much to see and many places to explore but this makes my perfect Perthshire roadtrip!

Stop 1 – Visit Birnam Oak

Birnam Oak fits in perfectly to Perthshire’s title of Big Tree Country. If you enjoy Shakespeare then you might recognise the name Birnam from “The Scottish Play”. The three weird sisters tell Macbeth that he won’t be defeated until the Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill. Being fairly confident that trees don’t move, Macbeth thinks himself invincible until the enemy army use branches from the ancient oak trees to disguise their movements.

This Oak tree isn’t quite old enough to have been around in Macbeth’s day. It’s thought to be around 600 years old and the last remains of the ancient Birnam Wood. Shakespeare got his inspiration for Macbeth while part of a touring theatre group performing in Perthshire in 1589 which means he may have come face to face with this very tree.

Even if old trees aren’t your thing, Birnam Oak is a tranquil riverside walk and perfect for kids or dogs to explore on your Perthshire Roadtrip.

There is usually lots of space to park near Birnam Village Shop and then it’s a short signposted walk down “Oak Road” at the back of the hotel. Turn left and follow the signs by the river and have fun guessing which tree is the real Birnam Oak.

Stop 2 – Dunkeld Cathedral

Dunkeld is just across the river from Birnam and one of the most picturesque little towns in Scotland. It features every time I head off on a Perthshire roadtrip! The pride of the town is Dunkeld Cathedral with roots in a 7th century monastery, back when Perthshire was the Pictish heartland. One of the great Royal dynasties of Scotland was even named the House of Dunkeld. They ruled for over 200 years from Malcolm Canmore up to the succession crisis that led to Robert the Bruce.

This still functions as a place of worship for the Church of Scotland so it isn’t technically a cathedral anymore, but with a building as beautiful as this, I’m glad it has hung onto its name. Inside, you’ll find the impressive tomb of Alexander Stewart – The Wolf of Badenoch. Outside, you’ll find a beautiful graveyard and a quiet spot to relax down by the river.

The Cathedral is free to visit and managed by Historic Scotland but is currently closed for conservation work.

Stop 3 – Perthshire Roadtrip Lunch Stop

I never have a Perthshire roadtrip without stopping at The Scottish Deli for a takeaway sandwich. Fresh, Scottish ingredients and excellent service, what more could you want? Wine and Scottish Tapas in the evening you say? Oddly specific but the Deli has you covered again! I can’t say I’ve experienced the evening menu yet, but it’s given me an idea for a night away.

There is a large car park at the other end of the main street in Dunkeld with toilets available for a small charge.

Stop 4 – The Hermitage

I visit the Hermitage at least once a year and never get bored. It’s a pleasant woodland walk with an impressive waterfall. If you’re here in summer on a hot day then beneath the waterfall is a large pool for swimming, just be aware that this is a busy place so skinny dipping isn’t advised! If you visit in autumn then the golden colours add an extra element to the woodland.

The highlight of the walk is Ossian’s Hall which juts out over the waterfall and this is one of the most popular things to do in Perthshire! As you walk through the small building you’re suddenly met with the crashing sound of water on rocks. It’s unbelievably atmospheric and there are few viewpoints like it. The Ossian that the hall is named after features heavily in Gaelic legends. He was said to be a blind bard who wrote epic poetry and the son of the warrior hero Fingal.

Keep walking up the path alongside the river and you will eventually come to the Hermit’s Cave. Back in the 18th Century, an advert was placed for a full time hermit to live here as a comical attraction. I’m not so sure that The National Trust for Scotland would appreciate anybody squatting in here now though.

The Hermitage is run by The National Trust for Scotland and is free to visit although a small parking charge applies.

Stop 5 – Killiecrankie

Half an hour further along the A9 on your Perthshire roadtrip and we come to the wonderfully named Killiecrankie. It’s a tranquil place today, perfect for walks and wildlife but things weren’t always so peaceful here. In 1689, the Jacobites won a great victory at Killiecrankie although it’s the legends surrounding the battle that make it so interesting.

The Jacobites were outnumbered at least 2-1 by the government force. Ever the fearless warriors, they still charged headfirst down the hill straight at the enemy. With the sun in their eyes and angry clansmen racing towards them, the soldiers panicked and ran.

The Jacobite leader was John Graham of Claverhouse also known as Bonnie Dundee. Dundee had a reputation as a devil in a fight which some claimed came from a literal pact with the Devil. He was mortally wounded at Killiecrankie, but obviously a lead bullet wouldn’t kill this servant of the Devil. The rumour spread that a bullet hit one of the silver buttons on his shirt, forcing it into his torso.

As the government soldier’s fled, they ran in every direction to save their skin. One man called Donald MacBean, tried to ride a horse along the river to safety but was hauled off. After running in circles around the animal, he realised his only escape was across the River Garry. He came to a rushing waterfall with large rocks on either side and in a daring feat, jumped the 18ft gap. He lost his shoe at Soldier’s Leap but you might lose more than that so don’t ruin your Perthshire roadtrip by attempting it!

www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/killiecrankie

Killiecrankie is run by the National Trust for Scotland but is free to walk around. There is a small charge for parking if you are not already a member.

Stop 7 – Blair Castle

Blair Castle is an unmistakeable, bright white guardian of the road to Inverness. It’s the ancestral home of the Duke of Atholl and Clan Murray, and the headquarters of the only remaining private army in the United Kingdom.

The oldest part of Blair Castle is called the Comyn Tower which is odd since this was never Comyn territory. Back in the 13th century, the Earl of Atholl was away on a Crusade and John Comyn saw that as an opportunity to extend his land. He built a small castle here in the hope that nobody would notice but he wasn’t that lucky. The Earl of Atholl returned and quickly kicked Comyn out, using his tower as the basis for Blair Castle.

In the 15th century, the Lord of the Isles was rebelling against King James. The story goes that the King instructed the Earl of Atholl to take care of the problem however he could. These were fierce island warriors so meeting them head on in a battle was unlikely to go well. Atholl’s scouts told him that the Islanders were taking their water from one particular well and that gave Atholl an idea.

He filled the well with whisky then added honey and oats to disguise the taste. The men didn’t know what had happened to their water but they loved it! When Atholl’s troops arrived for battle, there wasn’t much fight in the drunken islanders and the rebellion was over. The drink was named Atholl Brose and you’ll find some in Blair Castle’s gift shop.

Blair Castle is independently run, currently open 10:00-17:30 (Last entry 4pm) and costs £15 for an adult or £45 for a Family (2 adults + 3 children).

Stop 8 -The Best View In Perthshire

Queen’s View is a popular Perthshire roadtrip stop with a beautiful scene across Loch Tummel. If the weather is clear and your eyes are good then you can see all the way to Glen Coe. It was named for one of Robert the Bruce’s wives but made famous by Queen Victoria. The British monarch just assumed that it was named after her!

It’s not hard to see why this is many people’s favourite thing to do in Perthshire!

There is a small parking charge here. Queen’s view has a visitors centre as well as a cafe and toilets.

Stop 9 – An Iconic Perthsire Munro

Schiehallion is a prominent Munro in Perthshire that translates from Gaelic as the fairy hill of the Caledonians. It’s a special place with a magical presence, easy to access and relatively easy to climb (although no Munros are every truly easy). It’s prominent shape, rising solitary from the landscape makes it an unmistakeable landmark for miles around.

What many people don’t know is that Schiehallion’s shape and isolation made it perfect for an experiment to calculate the mass of the earth. Nevil Maskelyne set up two stations either side of the mountain in 1774 to observe how the mountain distorted gravity. Then they needed to calculate Schiehallion’s volume and Nevil’s associate Charles Hutton did this using contour lines. Today those contours are found on modern OS maps which are essential to mountaineers.

Using the data they estimated the density of the earth and gave the gravitational constant theorised by Newton a figure. Compared with today’s accurate calculation they succeeded with an error of less than 20% which was pretty remarkable.

You might need more than one Perthshire roadtrip if you’re going to tackle Schiehallion as well as the rest of this list as it takes 4-6 hours. All the details can be found on the Walk Highlands site.

If you want to get this view of Schiehallion then you will need to drive through Kinloch Rannoch and you will find places to park on the north side of Loch Rannoch.

Stop 10 – Castle Menzies

The final stop to round off our Perthshire roadtrip is Castle Menzies. While some Scottish Clan Chiefs have held onto their ancestral home for centuries, others have lost them to ruins or hotels. Castle Menzies was rescued by the Clan Society and is now run by them in place of the Clan Chief.

The castle was the seat of Clan Menzies for around 500 years and remained fairly neutral in every major uprising. It played host to Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobites in 1746 before welcoming his pursuer, the Duke of Cumberland 4 days later.

Sir Neil Menzies died in the early 20th century, his possessions were auctioned off and the castle left to decay. The Clan Menzies society stepped in and petitioned the Lord Lyon to recognise a new Clan Chief before buying the castle remains. The passion and pride of Clan Menzies shines through in the incredible restoration work and it’s an unmissable stop on your trip around Perthshire.

As with most castles, there have been some ghostly goings on. Unexplained shouting from the Chief’s bedroom, a cold spot in the Victorian wing and my personal favourite, the ghost cat. Could it be a Cait Sith stalking those corridors?https://www.castlemenzies.org/

Castle Menzies is open Mon-Thu & Sat 10:30 – 16:30. It costs £8 for Adults and £20 for a Family Ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children).

If you enjoyed this Perthshire roadtrip idea, then how about a day around Angus or a journey through the South of Scotland?

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