The City of Perth inspired Sir Walter Scott to pen 'The Fair Maid of Perth' which in turn inspired Bizet's opera, and today Perth enjoys an air of elegant prosperity whilst retaining a genuine atmosphere of a true county town with a rich history and tradition of welcoming visitors. The town is best explored on foot. You can walk up to the top of Kinnoull hill to enjoy landscape views of the town, or simply follow the Old Perth Town Trail.
The town offers a number of fascinating historical sites and stately homes. Scone Palace on the edge of town is the original home of Scotland's Stone of Destiny where 42 of Scotland's Kings were crowned. Other houses worth visiting include Elcho Castle, Huntingtower Castle, Megginch Castle at the Carse of Gowrie and Balhousie Castle, - home to the Black Watch Museum.
Colourful floral displays and wonderful lush green parklands are known locally as the North and South Inches, and the city is regularly a City in Bloom winner. Visitors can also enjoy many of Perth’s colourful gardens including Rodney, Branklyn and Cherrybank Gardens (the latter incorporates the Bells National Heather collections).
The Perth Mart Visitor Centre is well worth a visit. Children will love the highland animals on parade. At the edge of town, the Caithness Glass Factory and Visitor Centre demonstrate the delicate skill of glassmakers, while in the town centre, Perth's Museum and Art Gallery offers a collection of fine and applied art. More paintings and works of art are to be found at The J.D. Fergusson Collection, situated within Perth's historic Round House.
Perth is also a wonderful base for touring the surrounding countryside and towns to visit whisky distilleries, castles, historic homes and gardens.