Scone Palace
Scone Palace is often our first, or our last, stop on a day tour from Edinburgh, Stirling or Glasgow. The arrival through the long driveway, built for the visit of Queen Victoria in 1842, never fails to impress. The guided visit through the many rooms of the Palace brings something for everyone, from the magnificent Long Gallery hallway to the porcelain and stunning furnishings collected by the Earl of Mansfield.
The iconic story of the Stone of Destiny is told in a short film to prepare guests for the Palace guides to bring it alive, as they stand on Moot Hill. This was the scene of coronation of many of the ancient Kings of Scotland until the stone was removed in the early 1300's on behalf of the English King Edward I.
Entertaining the visitors are the wonderful peacocks, including the stunning white Alexander - the firm favourite with everyone!
Perthshire and the Drovers
We left Scone Palace behind and followed the River Tay through beautful Perthshire. We could tell the farmers were desperate for some rain (amazing to hear this in Scotland!) as some irrigation was providing much needed relief across the fields of barley and wheat. It was a joy to take our first drive along the new Perth bypass from Scone Palace to Dunkeld, saving time on the journey and avoiding any traffic hold ups negotiating through the city centre of Perth.
As this was the last day of a long dry spell, we made the most of it and opted for an outdoor lunch, sitting on the banks of the River Tay. Cullen Skink, translated as Seafood Chowder on the menu, was a perfect dish for such a relaxed setting.
Drummond Castle Gardens
Following a relaxed stroll around the amazing ruin of Dunkeld Cathderal, we took the scenic drive, over the Drovers Road to the old cattle market centre of Crieff. In the 1700 and 1800's this would have been the destination and end of the road for many a drover who had walked their cattle for two or three weeks from the remote corners of the Highlands and even some of the Islands.
Crieff today is a charming little town, with lovely small shops for crafts, whisky, clothes or artisan cheese and hams. We then set off for our final stop at the dramatic Drummond Castle Gardens, firstly admiring the two mile long beech tree avenue. Thankfully this is a one way drive as the trees now leave no room for passing!
The drama of the gardens comes from that first moment from the courtyard when the gardens are revealed below.
We enjoyed a very peaceful stroll through the many Maples Trees, enjoying the perfectly trimmed topiary of the Yews, Cypress and Holly Trees. The amazing collection of Firs, Spruces and Giant Sequoia give a real sense of history, especially when we admire the stunning Copper Beech tree planted by Queen Victoria in 1842. This was the same year she slept at Scone Palace so she must have planned a busy visit to Perthshire, as did we!
It seems, to our amateur eyes, that this garden, in its wide glen shape, has been protected from many of the destructive storms which have devastated more exposed woodlands and gardens.
Soon it was time to return to Stirling, the historic heart of Scotland, and reflect on a fascinating day in Pretty Perthshire.
