Dunkeld tourist information

Picturesque Dunkeld is a small town of pretty cottages and whitewashed buildings set in beautiful wooded countryside.

Much of the town was restored in the mid-20th century by the National Trust for Scotland, and it is very popular with visitors. The elegant stone bridge across the River Tay is particularly lovely, but the highlight must be Dunkeld Cathedral. This awe-inspiring, partly ruined, church has beautiful stonework and some fine medieval tombs, including the infamous 1st Earl of Buchan, known as the Wolf of Badenoch. It is a reminder that Dunkeld has been a religious centre since the 9th century AD when the relics of St Columba were moved to the town.

Across the river is Dunkeld's sister town of Birnam, made famous by Shakespeare in his play Macbeth where the witches prophesise that the king would not be defeated until Birnham Wood moved against him. The huge and ancient Birnam oak is a relic of the forest which once covered this region. The woodland scenery is best enjoyed at The Hermitage, a landscaped forest park with an 18th century viewing pavilion over the Black Linn Falls.

Birnam also has a wonderful Beatrix Potter exhibition at the Birnam Institute, celebrating the works of the author who spent childhood summers in this part of Scotland.