Huntingtower Castle

Huntingtower Castle

A rustic stone exterior with windows overlooking fields of green,  a Scottish flag on the tower fluttering in the light wind and a sprinkling of birdsong. This will be your first impression of Huntingtower Castle, just 3 miles from the centre of Perth. It dates from the 1400s and is one of the many Scottish castles to be associated with Mary Queen of Scots. The mostly traffic-free cycle route to the castle is alongside the River Tay and River Almond.

How to get there

• Direct trains to Perth take about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Edinburgh and about 1 hour from Glasgow.
• Huntingtower Castle is located near busy roads- the cycle route avoids these by taking a longer diversion north and then west.  It is still only 5.5 miles and will take you about 30 minutes to cycle it. There are no hilly sections.
• When you leave the station head down King's Place. This is a nice, wide street with a large park on the right side. The traffic volume on this road is not heavy.
• This road will take you down to the river where you should take a left. You can cycle on the pavement alongside the river- it is marked as shared footpath and cycle way.

• Continue alongside the river and you will come to blue cycle signage pointing you to 'The North Inch', Inveralmond, Almondbank and Pitlochry. This is cycle route 77 and it will take you towards Huntingtower Castle.

The cycle path through the North Inch in Perth

The North Inch is a huge park with a golf course and playing fields. The cycle path runs through it, alongside the River Tay. This is not spectacular cycling, but certainly easy and relaxed.

The cycle path in Perth's North Inch runs alongside the River Tay

The path turns away from the River Tay and then proceeds alongside the River Almond. This path is lined with wild grasses and pretty wild flowers. I spotted several butterflies. 

The cycle path alongside the River Almond in Perth

This could be an ideal bike ride to try out some new cycling gear and I came across a great website with quality shorts, jerseys, jackets and more.

Wildflowers along the cycle route towards Huntingtower Castle

You will come across a sign for Huntingtower Castle that directs you away from the cycle path. This takes you onto quiet country roads.

Cycle route sign for Huntingtower Castle

The first sight of the castle transforms some rather ordinary fields and countryside into a special moment. On a bright sunny day it is quite a striking vision of towers and rustic stone.

Huntingtower Castle

From the outside you are given the impression that this castle must be relatively intact- just look at all the windows which are still glazed. However, on entering the building you will soon find that it is largely ruined with empty rooms and bare walls. 

Inside Huntingtower Castle

This emptiness does not prepare you for Huntingtower's greatest surprise. It has magnificent painted ceilings that are full of life and colour. See if you can spot the angel, rabbit, lion, dragon and deer in these ceilings. Speaking of deer- they still visit the castle's grounds, but I didn't see any this time.

The ceilings are not the only evidence of the former wealth of this castle. look out for the secret compartment within the thick walls, once a place to hide valuables.

This secret compartment is within the walls of Huntingtower Castle. It was used to conceal valuables

The wealthy family that built this castle, in 1488, was the Ruthvens. They had a significant part to play in Scotland's history with the 3rd Lord of Ruthven hosting Mary Queen of Scots during her honeymoon.

Then there was the astonishing Gowrie conspiracy. In 1582 King James VI was kidnapped at the castle by William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie. The King was let go, but the following year the Earl of Gowrie was beheaded. In 1600 James went to visit the 3rd Earl of Gowrie and claimed to have found an assasin lying in wait. Some sort of altercation occured and Gowrie and his son ended up stabbed to death. Their bodies were then tried for treason and then hung, drawn and quartered. The Ruthven name was then abolished by Parliament.

---

Spiral staircase in Huntingtower Castle

Decorative fireplace surround in Huntingtower Castle

Inside Huntingtower Castle

Huntingtower Castle has roof access. It is always exciting to stand atop a castle tower and survey the surrounding landscape. This is not a breathtaking view with sweeping vistas, but it is pleasant enough with an outlook of fields and woods. Bear in mind that this area of Perth is built-up with major roads a stones through away and you will have noticed the industrial estate alongside the cycle path.

The roof of Huntingtower Castle

The roof is the best place to let your imagination take you to another of Huntingtower's fascinating moments. When the castle was first constructed it consisted of two seperate towers with just a 3 meter gap between. The daughter of the 1st Earl of Ruthven had occassion to leap between these two towers!​

The towers of Huntingtower Castle

The name of the daughter was Dorothea and one night she visited her lover who was staying as a guest in one of the towers. Her mother heard a rumour about this afair and went to investigate. When Dorothea heard her mum's footsteps approaching she had no choice but to take a leap over to the other tower and her own bed. Her mum later  apologised to Dorothea for being suspicious, but the next night Dorothea married her lover.

​In later years the Murray's took ownership of the castle and they filled the gap between the two towers. Another interesting historical connection is that Lord George Murray was Prince Charles Stewart's military comander at the 1745 Jacobite uprising.

​It will not take long to explore this castle. Thirty minutes will suffice, but a bit longer is needed if you want to read all of the information panels. You could combine a visit to the castle with a trip to Branklyn Garden and Kinnoul Hill. Head to my blog page to find out more.

Coffee and Cake
​There is no cafe at the castle, but being so close to Perth city centre means that there is plenty of choice. My recommendation is Effies on the High Street.

​This vintage tea room has the atmosphere of a Victorian parlour. The walls are adorned with mirrors and old portraits and chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Tea is served in large silver tea points and there are silver tongs in the sugar cube bowls. Cake is served on china with flower decorations. Tables are decorated with old postcards under a glass top. This is a place to take your time and enjoy the refined traditions of tea drinking.

​I tried the coffee cake and I found it to be very light and fluffy, the lightest cake that I can remember having.

​At the next table there was a woman with immaculate bouffant hair. She was talking to her friend. "We had a brilliant weekend!" We had another baby, well my nephew's wife did. It's her fourth. Only 6 pounds." 

Coffee cake and cappuccino at Effies in Perth

Effies is a special experience and I will be back the next time I am in Perth. If you are looking for something more substantial than cake they also do main meals like macaroni, scampi, baked potatoes, salads and sandwiches.

Head to my Perthshire page for more ideas of things to do in this region.