Other things to do
In addition to salmon fishing Perthshire offers much for the tourist. It is one of the most popular tourist areas in Scotland so for non-fishing members of your family or on those occasional days when conditions are not right for fishing there is much to see and do.
Historic houses
Some of the grandest and most historic houses in Scotland are in the area and open to the public. These include:
Scone Palace, home of the Earl of Mansfield, the original site of the Stone of Destiny where the Kings of Scotland once were crowned. www.scone-palace.co.uk
Glamis Castle, home of the Earl of Strathmore, made famous in Shakespeare's Macbeth, was the childhood home of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. www.glamis-castle.co.uk
Blair Castle, ancestoral seat of the Dukes of Atholl, the only family still permitted to maintain a private army, the Atholl Highlanders. www.blair-castle.co.uk
Castle Menzies, near Aberfeldy, is a fine example of a 16th century Scottish Castle which has been restored. It was formerly the seat of the Chief of the Clan Menzies. www.menzies.org
Falkland Palace, rich in history, one of the fabulous homes of Mary Queen of Scots.
Open gardens
There are a number of fine gardens open to the public in the locality. In addition to Scone Palace and Blair Castle, Drummond Castle at Crieff (www.drummondcastlegardens.co.uk) and Bolfracks Gardens at Aberfeldy (www.bolfracks.com) are well worth visiting. In Perth the National Trust for Scotland's Branklyn Gardens and Bell's Cherrybank Gardens are also open.
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Blair Castle, one of the finest historic houses in Scotland, is only one of the many visitor excellent attractions Tayside has to offer.
Shooting
As well as offering excellent fishing opportunities Tayside also offers some of the best opportunities for sport shooting in Britain. Many of Scotland's best grouse moors are in the locality and some of the best red deer stalking in the hills of Perthshire and Angus. On the low ground there are also many excellent pheasant shoots, opportunities to stalk roe deer and the Firth of the Tay is one of the premier wildfowling locations in the country.
Perth races
Britain's most northerly racecourse is sited on the banks of the Tay at Scone and has regular meets from April to September. For full details see www.perth-races.co.uk.
Golf Mecca
St Andrews, the home of golf, is within one hours drive of the main fishing beats on the Tay. Other local famous venues include Gleneagles and Rosemount at Blairgowrie. there are many other less well known but excellent courses in the locality and details can be found at www.perthshire.co.uk.
Theatres
Perth Theatre (www.perththeatre.co.uk) and Pitlochry Festival Theatre (www.pitlochry.org.uk) are conveniently located for anglers or families visiting the Tay.
Shopping and local crafts
Good shopping is available in Perth city centre which boasts many of the usual high street chains but also many independent interesting shops. For those seeking even more variety, Edinburgh is one one hour away and Glasgow little more. Local villages like Dunkeld, Pitlochry and Aberfeldy specialise in characterful shops and tea rooms for the tourist. For an excellent country shopping experience visit the award winning House of Bruar.
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