Perth, the ‘Fair City’ in Scotland was, at one time, a royal burgh is sited at the head of the Tay estuary. Inbetween the 12th and 15th centuries Perth vied with Dunfermline to be the capital of the country of Scotland. In the article below I write about three places to visit in Perth, Scotland; Elcho Castle, Scone Palace and Huntingtower Castle:
Scone Palace
At this time, home of the Earls of Mansfield is Scone Palace, and a major attraction to travelers from around the globe. The palace of Scone is an important part of the history of Scotland, as the kings of Scotland were once crowned there. Robert the Bruce was crowned at Scone Palace, in 1306, as was Charles II when he took possession of the Scottish Crown in 1651. There is a mysterious and beautiful mood to the palace, which is rightly so.Once upon a time the area was an important meeting place of the Picts and there was also an early Christian church on the site.
Elcho Castle
Lying around 3 miles from Perth, with glorious views across the River Tay, is Elcho Castle. Elcho Castle is one of the prime examples of Sixteenth century constructions in Scotland today. The Wemyss family authorized the construction of the castle in the 1570’s. The land had been in the family since 1468, when it was assigned to them by King James III. In 1633, the head of the family was given the titles of Earl of Wemyss and Lord Elcho. Elcho Castle and it’s lands stayed the property of the Wemyss family until 1929. At this time, the 11th Earl of Wemyss, bestowed the castle to the nation of Scotland. The castle has recently been renovated and is now in the charge of Historic Scotland.
Huntingtower Castle
Located just to the west of Perth is the medieval pile of Huntingtower Castle. Even though the castle is medieval in origin, it has been significantly redeveloped throughout most of it’s history. The Ruthven family were the owners of the lands and castle from the C12th to the C17th. During this time the castle consisted of 2 separate towers, built three meters apart. When the Murray family took possession, later on in the 17th century, they decided to amalgamate the two towers, making the house look more like a conventional country mansion. The bridging work between the two towers is still rather visible today, on both the inside and the outside.
If you are considering having a city break in Perth you will find plenty of online Perth hotels and guest houses and you will discover a massive range at http://www.perthhotelscotland.com/
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