A Day in Perth City Centre

George Street in Perth

Here's my guide to spending a day in Perth. Make the most of the city's outdoor spaces and riverside location before heading to George Street where you will find the best independent retailers and Perth Museum and Art Gallery.

There is a map at the end of the blog to help you navigate to the places I have suggested here.

​Riverside Walk
Perth's location on the banks of the Tay, Scotland's longest river, is one of its greatest assets. Make this your first stop- it's just a 10 minute walk from the train station. 

The River Tay in Perth

Wide pavements on the west side of the river provide a grand, urban perspective, akin to a Parisian stroll along the Seine. However, the most delightful walks can be had on the east side of the river where you will find the Riverside Park.

Riverside Park, Perth

This park has water features, sculptures and the largest collection of heather in Scotland-  over 950 species. The pathways look onto the river and the city skyline.

Kinnoul Hill View
If you fancy a bit of a hike, head up Kinnoull Hill for one of Scotland's best views. Allow for about 2 hours to make the return walk to the viewpoint shown in my photo.  You could also pop into Branklyn Garden to see the Himalayan Blue Poppies. 

The view from Kinnoull Hill

My blog about Branklyn and Kinnoull Hill has more detail about these places.

Continental Cafe Culture
The layout of the streets that surround Saint John's Kirk is reminiscent of an Italian Piazza. The cafes and restaurants have outdoor seating facing the church.

A good spot to enjoy the atmosphere is Hinterland,  a cafe with superb coffee, home baking and sandwiches bursting with flavour.​ I opted for the lentil and vegetable soup and a toasted ciabatta with roasted vegetables, mozarella and pesto. 

Saint John's Kirk in Perth

A window seat in Hinterland, looking out onto the piazza-style of the streets around St. John's Kirk in Perth

Unique Shopping
Perth city centre is full of the usual high street names, but for something different head to George Street. This is where you will discover the city's independent retailers. I have highlighted the food and drink shops here, but you can also get your hands on clothing, jewelry, gifts, crafts and bicycles on this street.

The Bean Shop
The Bean Shop offers up the delightful retail experience of buying coffee that is ground whilst you wait. The smell of the black stuff enters your nostrils from the street and gets even better when you step inside. It's like going back to the Victorian era with the floor boards, chandeliers, ceiling rose, cornicing and big wooden counter. I was handed a menu of coffees so that I could make my choice. I noticed that the Gourmet Blend is the best seller, so I went for this.

The Bean Shop in Perth

It is a busy place with staff going to and from the store room, grinding coffee, weighing it on the scales and then packaging it up in the brown bags that have a picture of the shop on the front.

A bag of coffee from The Bean Shop

The bag of coffee is such a tactile object- Squeezing it, smelling the coffee inside and feeling the rustic material of the bag.  It's just such a nice experience shopping for coffee in here. I am pleased to report that the Gourmet Blend was smooth and mellow and very easy to drink.

Provender Brown Deli
On one side of this shop there is a long refrigerated deli counter with cheeses, olives and charcuterie. On the other side there are shelves brimming with interesting treats like chutneys, jams, spices, biscuits and pasta. 

Provender Brown Deli

In the rear room of the shop there is a great selection of alcohol, including whisky, gin and Scottish beers. There are also sweet treats, like these lovely chocolates that I purchased.

Chocolates from Provender Brown

Casella & Polegato
​What a treat to have an Italian bakery in the city! This is the place to come for artisan bread, pastries and more. I treated myself to a packet of hazelnut meringue. This was melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness, light, but with a nutty crunch.

Casella & Polegato on Perth's George Street

Hazelnut meringue from Casella & Polegato

Brewdog
Relax with some Scottish craft Beer at Brewdog's Perth bar. This company was one of the Scottish craft beer pioneers and it has grown into a huge brand, but retaining the independent streak beloved of beer fans. There is a neon sign on the wall that states 'fiercely independent. Forever craft.'

Brewdog, Perth

The interior has all of the hallmarks of an indie beer pub. There's the retro movie sign that lists the beers on tap, the exposed brick walls and the natural wood tables. The leather seats and cosy corners are a perfect accompaniment to a cool IPA.

​The outside of this building, with its jagged edge on a corner street, reminds me somewhat of New York's Flatiron building. 

Brewdog in Perth

Perth Museum and Art Gallery
​Right opposite Brewdog is the museum, a grand Victorian building. Step inside the wonderful dome entrance and discover many fascinating items. I shall share with you some of my favourites.

Sculpture Court in Perth Museum

The sculpture court has this gem- a vase that was made for Napoleon's first wife:

A vase made for Napoleon's first wife

One of the rooms is dominated by this bronze age log boat, made from a hollowed-out oak tree, that was found in the River Tay in 2001:

Log boat in Perth Museum

I love these Neolithic carved balls. They look so tactile. They are 6000 years old, their funtion unknown, but possibly for ceremonial purposes:

Neolithic carved balls

There is a great display about the largest salmon ever caught in Britain. It was realed in from the River Tay by Georgina Ballantine in 1922. It weighed 29kg and was used to feed the staff and patients at the hospital. The museum has a copy of the plaster cast of the fish, but I think this photo gives you a much better idea of how massive it was:

Georgina Ballantine with the largest salmon ever caught in Britain.

Old Fashioned Sweet Shop Experience
Don't leave Perth without paying a visit to this wonderful shop. It's been here for over 100 years and retains a shop front with an Art Deco/1920s vibe. B.A. Kerrigan is both a tobacconist and a sweet shop. It can be found on Methven Street, about a 6 minute walk from the train station.

B.A. Kerrigan shop in Perth

If you are a smoker they've got cigars, pipe tobacco and all the accessories. They have something like 120 different types of sweets and buying these is a nice little experience. The jars of sweets are on the customer side of the shop so you are asked to pick up the jar and bring it over to the shopkeeper. What kid (or adult) wouldn't want to pick up one of these big sweetie shop jars?

Sweets in the B.A. Kerrigan shop in Perth

The shopkeeper then empties the sweets out of the jar to clatter onto the scales. You choose your weight or just do it by eye and your treats are then poured into a paper bag. What I am describing might sound like a normal everyday thing, but the reality is that with Internet shopping and supermarkets this has become a special and rare experience. Go and enjoy it!

Tea and Cake at Effies
If you haven't overindulged in the sweets and are in the mood for a traditional tea room experience then pop into Effies. It is a 2 minute walk from the sweet shop, on the High Street. It is a little piece of vintage joy with its Victorian parlour atmosphere of chandeliers, old portraits and silver tea pots. Cakes are light, fluffy and yummy and they have over 30 teas to choose from.

Effies

That's my suggestion for a day in Perth. For more ideas of things to see and do in the city check out perthcity.co.uk

How to get to Perth
The city is well connected by coach and train, but if you are bringing your bike then train is the way to go. From Glasgow it takes just over 1 hour and from Edinburgh it is around 1 hour and 20 minutes. Some services require a reservation to take a bike. See my guide to taking your bike on the train.

Suggested Cycle Routes from Perth
If you want to explore a bit further try these cycle routes:

• 3 miles to Huntingtower Castle

Huntingtower Castle