History: Dundee to Dunkeld

This is a great place to learn about the early history and development of the British army through the eyes of one of its most famous Scottish Regiments, The Black Watch. The infantry unit was born in the aftermath of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion when independent companies of militia were raised from loyalist Highland Clans, which were then brought together in 1739. The regiment went on to fight in nearly all the British Army campaigns and is now part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The Regimental Museum is housed in Balhousie Castle, built in 1631 and extensively remodelled between 1862 and 1864.

Visiting the city gallery and museum is an excellent way to find out how Perth developed through the medieval period and the major role it played in the history of Scotland. The museum also houses many much earlier important artefacts, with great displays that help the visitor understand what life would have been like during the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. These include the incredible 3,000-year-old Carpow Log boat, excavated and recovered from the Tay Estuary near Perth in 2001. In the Art Gallery part of the building there are fantastic permanent exhibitions showcasing some of Scotland’s best-known artists including Joan Eardley, Anne Redpath, John Byrne and Sir Robin Philipson.

St John’s Kirk is the oldest building still standing in Perth, the main elements that can be seen today date from around 1440 up to 1500. There has however, been a church on the site for so long that the medieval street pattern of Perth developed around it, with the first recorded charter dating back to the early 1100’s. St John’s Kirk played a key role in the Scottish Reformation. In May 1559 the church played host to one of the main architects of the reformation, John Knox. The sermon he preached was so inflammatory that it sparked major riots in which Perth’s monasteries were destroyed.