14 Things to Do Near Perth, Scotland

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that last week we spent a bit of time in sunny Perthshire, at the Silverwood Resort, so here’s a quick look at where we stayed, plus some suggestions of things to do near Perth…

[Disclosure: We stayed at Silverwood free of charge. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that make this blog possible.]

Silverwood is a luxury log cabin development set in the Perthshire countryside, and it’s a fantastic base from which to explore the area. Our cabin was deceptively large, with three double bedrooms, two bathrooms (one en-suite), and a spacious kitchen/living area:

(I didn’t actually plan for Max’s outfit to blend in so well with the decor here, but I don’t hate it either…)

Most importantly, as far as I’m concerned:

HOT TUB!

God, I love a hot tub.

Once we were settled in, we lost no time in heading out to explore the local area. Silverwood is located near the pretty little village of Errol: here, in no particular order, are some of the places we visited while we were there…

01.
Cairn O’ Mohr Winery

A winery might not seem like the most obvious place to take a four year old on a day out, but Max actually loved this quirky little place, with its tree houses, slides, and orchard walks. For the adults, meanwhile, you can, of course, taste some of the fruit wines and ciders made on site, and yes, we did bring some home with us! [website]

02.
Rait Antique Centre

If you like antiques, you could easily get lost for hours in the various different courts, which are packed with curios and relics from a bygone age. We had breakfast in The Tufted Duck Cafe, which is furnished with yet more antiques, and home to some of the best eggs you’ll ever taste, freshly laid by the owner’s own hens that very morning! [Website]

03.
Errol Village

Speaking of local produce, I also have to just quickly mention the village store in Errol itself, where we bought the best strawberries any of us have ever had. They come from a local farm where the temperature inside the polytunnels is monitored multiple times a day for the best possible results, and they were so good we had to go back for more.

(The fish and chip shop in the village also comes highly recommended, and we went there twice, too!)

04.
Camperdown Country Park

Camperdown Country Park is on the outskirts of Dundee, so it’s a little further afield than some of the other places mentioned here, but, if you have young children, it’s well worth the drive. The play area here is one of the largest we’ve been to (And trust me when I tell you, we’ve been to a LOT of play areas…), and has multiple different themed areas, all with tons of play equipment. We actually came here with Max back in 2019, and had always intended to come back until the pandemic got in the way: it’s definitely one of his favourite places in Scotland!

(The teddy bear he’s holding is part of a nursery project, just in case you’re wondering… We have to take it with us on our travels and send back photos to the nursery. Yes, we’ve already lost it at least once…)

05.
Perth

Well, I can’t really do a post on things to do near Perth without mentioning the city itself, can I? I completely neglected to take any photos here unfortunately, but Perth is a compact little city which is easy to get around on foot, and its location on the banks of the River Tay makes it picturesque, too. We didn’t have a lot of time here, but enjoyed exploring some of the streets around the city centre, which have many of the usual high street chains, plus some smaller, independent stores. There were also lots of restaurants with people enjoying lunch outside despite the chilly June temperatures; nothing puts the Scots off for long!

Although we only had a couple of days to explore, and were somewhat hampered by the changeable weather (It went from warm and sunny on the day we arrived to absolutely freezing on the day we left…), we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Perthshire, and really appreciate being able to do things like this again after spending the last two years stuck mostly at home. This is a part of the country we’ve always enjoyed visiting, and every time we go back we seem to find something else to do there, so if you’ve visited the area, feel free to tell me what you recommend so I can add it to the list for our next trip!]

Here are some more things to do near Perth:

6. Visit Scone Palace: A historic palace and gardens with a rich history dating back to the 12th century.

7. Walk along the River Tay: Take a stroll along the banks of the River Tay, which runs through Perth and offers scenic views.

8. Explore Perth Museum and Art Gallery: Discover the history and culture of Perthshire through a variety of exhibits and collections.

9. Climb Kinnoull Hill: Enjoy panoramic views of Perth and the surrounding area from the top of Kinnoull Hill.

10. Visit Dunkeld Cathedral: A beautiful medieval cathedral located in the town of Dunkeld, just a short drive from Perth. (Read my post on where to stay in Dunkeld)

11. Take a trip to Loch Tay: Enjoy the stunning scenery of Loch Tay, located just a short drive from Perth.

12. Visit the Black Watch Castle and Museum: Explore the history of the Black Watch regiment through interactive exhibits and displays.

13. Play golf at Gleneagles: Golf enthusiasts can tee off at the world-renowned Gleneagles golf course, located just a short drive from Perth.

14. Enjoy a whisky tasting at Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery: Sample some of Scotland’s finest whiskies at this award-winning distillery.