Everything about Perth Scotland totally explained
Perth is a
royal burgh in central
Scotland. Sitting on the banks of the
River Tay, it's the administrative headquarters of
Perth and Kinross council area. Perth was a
large burgh prior to 1975, and the
county town of the former
county of
Perthshire.
The name
Perth has hence been used for
a number of other settlements around the world. The most notable of these is
Perth, Western Australia — named such at the wish of
Sir George Murray,
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, who was born in Perth. Perth is popularly referred to as
The Fair City, although per a redefinition of
city status in the United Kingdom (see
below), it's no longer classed as a city.
Name
The name
Perth derives from a
Pictish word for
wood or
copse, and links the town to the
Picts described by the Romans, who subsequently joined with the
Scots to form the kingdom of
Alba which later became known as Scotland. During much of the medieval period the town was known colloquially as "St. John's Toun" because the church at the centre of the parish was dedicated to St.
John the Baptist. It stands on St. John Street. In addition, the town's original name is still preserved in the town's
football club,
St. Johnstone.
History
Finds in and around Perth show that it was occupied by the
Mesolithic hunter-gatherers who arrived in the area more than 8,000 years ago. Nearby
Neolithic standing stones and circles followed the introduction of farming from about 4,000 BC, and a remarkably well preserved
Bronze age log boat dated to around
1000 BC was found in the
mudflats of the
River Tay at Carpow to the east of Perth. Carpow was also the site of a
Roman legionary fortress.
Early medieval period
Perth's Pictish name, and some archaeological evidence, indicate that there must have been a settlement here from earlier times, probably at a point where a river crossing or crossings coincided with a slightly raised natural mound on the west bank of the Tay (which at Perth flows north-south), thus giving some protection for settlement from the frequent flooding. The presence of
Scone two miles northeast, a royal centre of
Alba from at least the reign of
Kenneth I mac Ailpín (843-58), later the site of the major
Augustinian abbey of the same name founded by
Alexander I (1107-24), will have enhanced Perth's early importance. It was for long the effective 'capital' of
Scotland, due to the frequent residence of the royal court. It was at
Scone Abbey that the
Stone of Destiny was kept, and on it the Kings of Scots were crowned down to
Alexander III (1249-86).
12th and 13th centuries
King
David I (1124-53) granted
burgh status to the town in the early
12th century, and documents from this time refer to the status of the
kirk there. Many of the records taken from this time were the result of the arrival of the
Dominicans or Blackfriars;
Blackfriars, Perth, was established by
Alexander II (1214-49) by
1240. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Perth was one of the richest trading burghs in the kingdom (along with such towns as
Berwick,
Aberdeen and
Roxburgh), residence of numerous craftsmen, organised into guilds (eg the Hammermen [metalworkers] or Glovers). There was probably some decline in prosperity during the numerous wars of the 14th century. The town also carried out an extensive trade with the Continent, and examples of foreign luxury goods have been recovered from excavations within the town (for example, Spanish silk, fine pottery from France; wine will also have been a major import, not least for the use of the Church). The main destinations were France, the Low Countries and the Baltic. Medieval crafts are still remembered in some of the town's old street names, e.g, Skinnergate, Cutlog Vennel.
The royal castle (on or near the site of the present multi-storey car park adjacent to the new council offices), was destroyed by a flood of the Tay in
1209, one of many that have afflicted Perth over the centuries.
William I (1142-1214) restored Perth's burgh status, while it remained as the nominal capital of Scotland.
14th century: English occupation
King
Edward I of
England brought his armies to Perth in
1296 where the town, with only a
ditch for defence and little fortification, fell quickly. Stronger fortifications were quickly implemented by the English, and plans to wall the town took shape in
1304. They remained standing until
Robert the Bruce's recapture of Perth in
1313. He ordered the defences destroyed.
In
1332, the pretender
Edward Balliol, son of
John of Balliol, invaded to claim the throne of
Scotland with the backing of
Edward III of England. Robert the Bruce had died three years previously, and the regent of his infant son
David II fell quickly at the hands of Balliol's army at the
battle of Dupplin Moor. Balliol took Perth and the throne in September, and the
Scottish Civil War ensued. Balliol himself was driven out quickly, only to return the next year. His deposition was only made complete in
1336; his supporters were eventually driven from Perth in
1339. As part of a plan to make Perth a permanent English base within
Scotland,
Edward III forced six monasteries in
Perthshire and
Fife to pay for the construction of massive stone defensive walls, towers and fortified gates around the town (
1336). These followed roughly the lines of present day Albert Close, Mill Street, South Methven Street, Charterhouse Lane and Canal Street (these streets evolved from a lane around the inside of the walls). The town lade, which was led off the
River Almond in an artificial channel to power the burgh mills, formed an additional line of defence around the walls. The walls were pierced by several ports or gates, whose names are still remembered: the Red Brig Port (end of Skinnergate), Turret Brig Port (end of High Street), Southgait Port (end of South Street) and the Spey Port (end of Speygate). There was probably also a minor gate leading to Curfew Row. These defences were the strongest of any town in
Scotland in the Middle Ages. Though still largely complete at the time of the
1745 Jacobite Rebellion, they began to be demolished from the second half of the 18th century, and there are now no visible remains, at least above ground. The last tower, called the Monk's Tower (corner of Tay Street and Canal Street) was demolished about
1810.
Late 14th and 15th century
During the Middle Ages, Perth's only parish church was the Burgh Kirk of St. John the Baptist. With the town centre dominated by this huge building, Perth is frequently referred to as 'Sanct John's Toun of Perth' (or variants) in old documents. The local football team is still
St. Johnstone. The present church, though of much earlier origins, was constructed from the
15th century onwards. Though much altered, its tower and
lead-clad spire continue to dominate the Perth skyline. The Church has lost its medieval south porch and
sacristy, and the north
transept was shortened during the course of the
19th century during street-widening. The building was split into three congregations (the East, West and Middle Kirks), divided by internal walls, after the
Reformation, and was only returned to its medieval proportions in the 1920s by Sir
Robert Lorimer, who restored the building as a war-memorial for those soldiers from
Perthshire who had fallen in the
Great War. Despite the damage done to the Church during and after the
Reformation, it contains the largest collection of medieval bells still in their original building in
Great Britain. Another rare treasure, a unique survival in
Scotland, is a
15th century brass candelabrum, imported from the
Low Countries. The survival of this object is all the more remarkable as it includes a statuette of the
Virgin Mary. St. John's Kirk also had the finest collection of post-Reformation church plate in
Scotland (now housed permanently in Perth Museum and Art Gallery).
Medieval Perth had many other ecclesiastical buildings, including the houses of the
Dominicans (Blackfriars), Observantine
Franciscans (Greyfriars) and
Perth Charterhouse, Scotland's only
Carthusian Priory, or "Charterhouse". A little to the west of the town was the house of the
Carmelites or Whitefriars, at Tullilum (corner of Jeanfield Road and Riggs Road). Also at Tullilum was a manor or tower-house of the bishops of
Dunkeld. The bishops also owned a house within the burgh itself, at the corner of South Street and Watergate.
Other ecclesiastical foundations included the hospitals (with associated chapels) of St. Anne (between South Street and St. John's Place), St. Paul (corner of Newrow and High Street), St. Catherine (location uncertain) and, a little south of the town, St. Mary Magdalene. There were also a number of chapels: St. Mary's (at the east end of High Street, by the end of the medieval bridge), St. Laurence's (at the Horse Cross) and Our Lady of Loretto (Loretto Court). None of these buildings survive above ground, though parts of the buildings of the Blackfriars and Whitefriars have been recovered archaeologically, as has a probable part of the graveyard of St. Laurence's Chapel.
In the medieval period, Perth was part of the diocese of
St Andrews.
1396 brought the theatre of
trial by combat to Perth. The
Battle of the Clans pitted
Clan Chattan against Clan Cameron, each thirty strong, at the town's
North Inch. This 'tournament' (actually an attempt to resolve a disruptive Highland feud) took place under the gaze of
King Robert III (
1390-
1406) and his court, who watched the spectacle from the
Gilten Arbour, a garden attached to the House of the
Blackfriars. Although records vary, Clan Chattan is understood to have won the battle, with the last of their opponents fleeing to safety across the Tay. This combat is a central incident in
Sir Walter Scott's novel
The Fair Maid of Perth.
The House of the Dominicans or Blackfriars, established by King
Alexander II in 1231, was paying host to King
James I in
1437 when rebel nobleman forced entry to the building in the middle of the night. The Friary lay outside the town walls and was defended only by a ditch. Robert Graham proceeded to stab the King to death; the Queen,
Joan Beaufort, and her children escaped to
Edinburgh. Perhaps as a direct result, James was the last king to command from a throne at Perth; the capital was moved to
Edinburgh in 1437. James I was buried in Perth in the
Carthusian Priory he'd founded in 1429. This priory was also the last resting place of Joan Beaufort and
Margaret Tudor, Queens of Scotland.
16th century
While political and religious strife engulfed England in the mid-
16th century,
John Knox began the Scottish
Reformation from grass-roots level with a sermon against 'idolatry' in the burgh kirk of St. John the Baptist in
1559. An inflamed mob quickly destroyed the altars in the Kirk, then attacked the Houses of the Greyfriars and
Blackfriars, and the
Carthusian Priory.
Scone Abbey was sacked shortly afterwards. The regent of infant
Mary Queen of Scots, her mother
Marie de Guise, was successful in quelling the rioting but
presbyterianism in Perth remained strong.
There are no visible remains of the pre-Reformation religious houses of Perth, though their approximate locations are perpetuated in modern street-names.
17th and 18th centuries
Charles II was crowned at Scone, traditional site of the investiture of Kings of Scots, in
1651. However, within a year,
Oliver Cromwell's
Parliamentarians, fresh from victory in the
English Civil War, came to Perth. Cromwell established a fortified citadel on the South Inch (a large park south of the town) in 1652, one of five built around Scotland at this time to overawe and hold down the country. Perth's hospital, bridge and several dozen houses were demolished to provide building materials for this fort. Even grave slabs from the Greyfriars cemetery were used. It was given to the town in
1661 not long after Cromwell's death, and began almost immediately to be dismantled. The ditch, originally filled with water from the Tay, was still traceable in the late 18th century, but there are now no visible remains. The restoration of Charles II wasn't without incident, and with the
Act of settlement, came the
Jacobite uprisings, to which Perth was supportive. The town was occupied by Jacobite supporters thrice in total (
1689,
1715 and
1745).
Late 18th century to present
In
1760, Perth Academy was founded, and major industry came to the town, now with a population of 15,000.
Linen,
leather,
bleached products and
whisky were its major exports, although the town had been a key
port for centuries. In 1804,
Thomas Dick received an invitation from local patrons to act as teacher in the Secession school at
Methven that led to a ten year's residence there for him. The school was distinguished by efforts on his part towards popular improvement, including a zealous promotion of the study of science, the foundation of a
people's library, and what was substantially a mechanic's institute. Under the name
Literary and Philosophical Societies, adapted to the middling and lower ranks of the community, the extension of such establishments was recommended by him in five papers published in the
Monthly Magazine in 1814. The Perth Royal Infirmary was built in
1814, although the town remained unsanitary for decades including a
cholera epidemic in the
1830s. Piped water and gas became available in the
1820s, and electricity in
1901.
Despite being a garrison town and major developments, social and industrial, during the First World War, Perth remained relatively unchanged according to Dr Bill Harding in his study of the effects of the war on the people of Perth published in
On Flows the Tay: Perth and the First World War. (2000).
Given its location, Perth was perfectly placed to become a key transport centre with the coming of the
railways. The first railway station in Perth was built in
1848. Horse-drawn carriage became popular in the
1890s although they were quickly replaced by electric
trams.
Health
Perth Royal Infirmary
Murray Royal Hospital
Murray Royal Hospital is the other hospital in Perth. The hospital caters for forensic psychiatry; pallative medicine and psychiatry patients. The Glenelg ward, formerly the Almond ward, has recently undergone a refurbishment plan which now includes a long term area and rehabiliation unit in 2007.
Murray Royal was opened in 1827 as James Murray's Royal Asylum at a cost of £40,000. James Murray was a labourer who was bequeathed a large inheritance and, having no family to leave the money to when he died, set up the asylum on Kinnoull Hill.
Transport
Car
Perth remains a key transport hub for journeys by car and rail throughout Scotland. The
M90 motorway runs south from the town to
Edinburgh; the
A9 road connects it to
Stirling and
Glasgow in the south west and
Inverness in the north. Other major roads in the town include the
A85 to
Crieff and
Crianlarich, the
A93 to
Blairgowrie, the
A94 to
Coupar Angus and
Forfar and the
A90 to
Dundee and
Aberdeen.
The town itself was
bypassed to the South and East by the M90 in the
1970s and to the west by the A9 in the
1980s.
The M90, A9 and A93 all meet at
Broxden Junction, one of the busiest and most important
road junctions in Scotland.
The final part of the M90 included the construction of the
Friarton Bridge in
1978 to facilitate travel to
Dundee and
Aberdeen to the east of the town, finally removing inter-city traffic from the town centre and is the most northerly piece of the UK's motorway system.
Rail
Perth railway station has regular services to
Fife,
Edinburgh Waverley via the
Forth Bridge, east to
Dundee and
Aberdeen, and south to
Glasgow Queen Street. There are two direct trains per day to
London, one operated by
NXEC to
King's Cross (from Inverness), while the
Caledonian Sleeper runs overnight to
Euston.
The station currently has seven platforms; it once boasted more in the past to serve the smaller branch lines running throughout Perthshire. Perth Station is located on Glasgow Road, close to St Catherines Road.
Bus
Bus travel is plentiful in the town. Local buses are run by
Stagecoach Group; inter-city bus travel is made from Leonard Street
bus station and connects to most major destinations in Scotland. The budget
Megabus service is centred on Broxden Junction (2.2 miles/3.5km outside the town centre) and runs direct buses to Scotland's largest cities plus
Manchester and
London. In addition, there's a
park and ride service from the services at Broxden to the town centre.
Air
Perth has a small airport.
Perth Airport is located at
New Scone, 7 km north east of Perth. There are no commercial flights out of this airport, but it's used by private aircraft and for pilot training. The nearest major commercial airport is
Edinburgh Airport or
Aberdeen Airport, although
Dundee Airport, which is only 20 minutes drive from Perth, offers flights to
London City Airport,
Belfast, and
Birmingham as well as charter, engineering and training facilities.
Bridges
There are four bridges that cross the
River Tay in Perth. The northernmost structure is
Smeaton's Bridge (also known as Perth Bridge and, locally, the Old Bridge), completed in 1771 and widened in 1869, which carries the automotive and pedestrian traffic of West Bridge Street (the
A85). Eastbound vehicles are not permitted to make a right turn onto Bridgend's Gowrie Street.
Next, some five hundred yards downstream, is Queen's Bridge, which also carries vehicle and pedestrian traffic, this time of South Street and Tay Street. Queen's Bridge was completed in 1960, replacing the old Victoria Bridge (1902–1960), and was opened by
Queen Elizabeth II in October of that year.
The third bridge in the centre of Perth is a railway bridge, carrying trains to and from the railway station, half a mile to the north-west. It was completed in 1863. There is also a pedestrian walkway on its northern side (from where
this
image was taken).
Finally, the southernmost crossing of the Tay inside Perth's boundary is
Friarton Bridge. It is part of the
M90 motorway, and forms part of the east coast road corridor between
Edinburgh,
Dundee and
Aberdeen.
A fifth bridge is to be added farther upstream (north) from the existing bridges. It is part of the Sustrans Connect2 successful bid for funds from The People's £50 Million Lottery competition. Locals and visitors alike will benefit from this project. When completed cyclists and pedestrians will be able to cross the Tay without the associated risks to safety, health and environment of being close up to other vehicles on Smeaton's Bridge.
Politics
Perth is within the
Perth and Kinross council area, the
Perth Scottish Parliament constituency, the
Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region of the
Scottish Parliament (at
Holyrood), and the
Perth and North Perthshire United Kingdom Parliament constituency (at (
Westminster).
The Perth Scottish Parliament (or
Holyrood)
constituency is one of nine within the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region. Each constituency elects one
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the
first past the post system of election, and the region elects seven
additional members to produce a form of
proportional representation.
The Perth and North Perthshire United Kingdom Parliament (or
Westminster) constituency elects on
Member of Parliament (MP) to the
House of Commons of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system.
The Holyrood constituency was created in 1999, for the first election to the Scottish Parliament, with the boundaries of the
Perth Westminster constituency. The Perth Westminster constituency was abolished in 2005, when a new set of Westminster constituencies, including Perth and North Perthshire, was introduced.
Economy
distilleries, which have long since been sold off and moved away from Perth (although the town's name still appears on the labels), Perth has remained a centre for doing business. New high-tech industry has moved in, and the commercial impact has remained as major services, including
insurance and
banking, have come to the town. Amongst the largest employers are
Norwich Union, the
Bank of Scotland and Scottish and Southern Energy.
Perth's city centre is situated to the east of the banks of the River Tay. The centre has a variety of both independent and major retailers, particularly on the pedestrianised High Street, running from the junction of Tay Street to Atholl and Scott Streets. Perth also boasts many restaurants and bars on the majority of the city-centre streets, with coffee shops being most evident in the area of St. John's Place The St. John's Shopping Centre, on St. John's Square, which opened in 1987, also adds to the mix, providing forty units to complement any further retail therapy. The main sheriff court building and City Hall are also located within these boundaries. A new specialist three-floor shopping centre has been set to be finally approved for the troubled City Hall and likely to start building work as soon as possible.
Sport
St. Johnstone is the town's professional
football club. Their home ground is
McDiarmid Park, which is located on Crieff Road on the west side of the town. The team used to play at Muirton Park on the Dunkeld Road, five minutes from the town centre, but the ground was sold in the early 1990s to the
ASDA chain. Perth's first
McDonald's Restaurant and Drive-Thru was built adjacent to the supermarket.
There are two other football clubs based in Perth, both of
junior grade:
Jeanfield Swifts and
Kinnoull.
There is a large sports complex,
Bell's Sports Centre, to the northwest of the town centre, at the western edge of the North Inch. Prior to the building of the Greenwich Dome, it was the largest domed building in the UK. An identical structure exists at
Lexington High School in
Lexington, Massachusetts,
USA.
Perth hosts Scotland's largest
volleyball event every May - the Scottish Open Volleyball Tournament. There is a highly-competitive indoor competition held inside Bell's Sports Centre alongside both a competitive and fun outdoor event played on the town's North Inch. Teams competing traditionally camp alongside the outdoor courts with the campsite being administered by local
cadets. The Scottish Volleyball Association's annual general meeting is also held at the same time as tournament.
Perth Leisure Pool, to the west of the railway station on the Glasgow Road, is the town's swimming centre. The modern leisure pool complex was built in the mid 1980s to replace the traditional public swimming baths (established 1887) which used to sit just off the Dunkeld Road.
Perthshire RFC is the town's rugby union side, and are based at the North Inch next to Bell's Sports Centre. They currently play in the
BT Premiership Division Three for rugby union in Scotland.
Perth Racecourse is located within the grounds of Scone Palace (3 miles/5 km by road from the city centre), and holds regular
horse racing meetings as well as other outdoor events.
The Dewar's Centre, which includes an eight-lane ice rink, has long been a main centre of
curling in Scotland. Many top teams compete in this arena and many major events are held here each year. Curling is available from September to April annually. There is an indoor
bowling hall, hosting major competitions. Historically Perth had a successful
ice hockey team,
Perth Panthers, who played at the old ice rink on Dunkeld Road. The rink at Dewars is the wrong shape for ice hockey, so when the team reformed in 2000 for 2 seasons they played their home games at Dundee Ice Arena.
Media
The sole newspaper based in the town is the
Perthshire Advertiser owned by
Trinity Mirror. Editorial, advertising sales, etc still have their offices in the Watergate but the newspaper is printed in
Blantyre.
There is no freely radiating radio service, although
Hospital Radio Perth broadcasts to Perth Royal Infirmary and Murray Royal Hospitals.
Hospital Radio Perth is the UK's most successful hospital broadcasters having been the
Hospital Broadcasting Association UK Station of the Year in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2007.
Art and music
Perth Museum and Art Gallery is the town museum, and is one of the oldest provincial museums in Scotland, located at the top end of George Street, near the River Tay. The
Fergusson Gallery, housed in the former waterworks, contains the major collection of the works of the artist
J.D. Fergusson.
The
New Wave band
Fiction Factory had some success with their hit "(Feels Like) Heaven" in 1984. The song, which reached number six in the UK charts, would be their biggest hit, and Perth's biggest to date.
The
Perth Festival of the Arts is an annual collection of
art,
theatre,
opera and
classical music events in the town. The annual event lasts for a couple of weeks and is usually held in May. In recent years, the festival has broadened its appeal by adding
comedy,
rock and
popular music acts to the bill.
In September 2005, the new 1600-seat Horsecross
concert hall opened atop the former Horsecross Market. The state-of-the-art construction cost around
£20 million, mostly donated as part of the UK millennium celebrations. It is located near the Kinnoull Street multi-storey car park and it backs up to the Fair Maid's House on Curfew Row.
Perth Theatre was established more than one hundred years ago and is located on the town's pedestrianised High Street.
Perth was home to numerous cinemas during the previous century. Some were converted to other uses such as bingo halls but some have eventually disappeared altogether. The only remaining cinema is the Playhouse, on Murray Street, located outside two main bus station stances.
Parks
Perth's two main parks are the North
Inch and South Inch. The Inches were given to the city in 1377 by
King Robert III.
North Inch
The North Inch is located directly to the north of the city centre. It is bordered to the south by Charlotte Street and Atholl Street and to the southwest by Rose Terrace. Its western perimeter consists of part of the exercise path that circumnavigates the entire park. The River Tay bounds it to the east. A little further to the north is the Inch's eponymous golf course.
South Inch
Situated half a mile south of the North Inch, directly across the city centre, is the South Inch. The Inches are linked by Tay Street, which runs along the western banks of the Tay.
The South Inch is bordered to the north by Marshall Place and Kings Place; to the east by Shore Road; to the south by South Inch View; and to the west by St Leonards Bridge. The Edinburgh Road passes through its eastern third.
The South Inch offers various activities, including
bowling, an
adventure playground, a
skatepark, and, in the summer, a
bouncy castle.
The Perth Show takes place annually on the section of the Inch between the Edinburgh Road and Shore Road.
Branklyn Garden
Located just off the Dundee Road on the eastern side of the Tay, Branklyn Gardens, a
National Trust for Scotland site, is two acres of private gardens, predominantly featuring collections from
China,
Tibet,
Bhutan and the
Himalayas. Its centrepiece is its collection of Himalayan blue poppies.
Norie-Miller Riverside Walk
Situated between Perth Bridge and Queen's Bridge and known locally as the "Middle Inch", the Norie-Miller Riverside Walk features a sculpture trail. The walk ends close to Branklyn Garden.
Bell's Cherrybank Gardens
The Cherrybank Gardens are home to Europe's largest collections of
heathers, known as "The Bell's National Heather Collection". The gardens are sponsored by the Bell's Scotch whisky brand.
Tourism
Perth has a number of popular
architectural and historical attractions, most notably
Scone Palace and St. John's Kirk. It is also the centre of the regimental
Black Watch whose base is located on Dunkeld Road, near ASDA, and whose museum is located inside
Balhousie Castle. The Castle, of medieval origins, and the seat of the Eviot family, was extensively altered and enlarged in the
19th century, and retains little of its original character.
Kinnoull Hill and Craigie Hill, well provided with forest walks, give spectacular views of the city
Two
Historic Scotland properties within a short distance of the town are
Huntingtower Castle, former seat of the Earls of Gowrie (open all year; entrance charge), and
Elcho Castle, former seat of the Wemyss family (open in summer; entrance charge). Both are excellent examples of late medieval Scottish tower-houses, and are popular sites for weddings.
Schools and education
There are many schools in Perth, including St. John's Primary, Tulloch Primary, Viewlands Primary, Oakbank Primary, Perth Academy,
Perth High School, St. Columba's and Perth Grammar School.
Further and higher education - including a range of degrees - is available through Perth College, one of the largest partners in the
UHI Millennium Institute.
Perth College runs a network of learning centres across the area, in Blairgowrie, Crieff (a joint project with Perth & Kinross Council), Kinross, Pitlochry, and Pathways in Perth. It also owns AST (Air Service Training) which delivers a range of aeronautical engineering courses.
City status
The classic definition of Perth has been as a city, and traditional documentation confirms that this has been true since
time immemorial. However, in the late
1990s, the
UK government and the
Scottish Executive re-examined the definition of a city and produced a list of approved cities, from which Perth was omitted. It is now considered to be a "former city", a similar definition to that of
Brechin or
Elgin.
Current road-signs around the borders now call it "The Perfect Centre" instead of "The Fair City". In June, 2007,
Alex Salmond, the newly-elected first Minister of Scotland backed a campaign to confer city status on Perth, saying it should be granted "at the next commemorative opportunity".
Twin towns
Trivia
In March 2007, Perth became the first place in Scotland to join the European
Cittaslow movement which assesses towns and cities against sixty different criteria regarding quality of life for residents and visitors.
Gallery
Image:2003-06-07 - Balhousie Castle, Perth 01.jpg|Balhousie Castle
Image:Fair Maid's House.jpg|The Fair Maid's House
Image:Perth Museum and Art Gallery2.jpg|Museum and Art Gallery
Image:2003-06-07 - Perth 06.jpg|George Street
Image:2003-06-07 - North Inch 01.jpg|Looking towards Bridgend on the eastern side of the Tay
Image:St. John's Kirk.jpg|St. John's Kirk
Image:St. John's Kirk2.jpg|St. John's Kirk
Image:Perthhighst.JPG|High Street
Image:184429 fa1d5432.jpg|The southern end of Tay Street, viewed from Queen's Bridge
Further Information
Get more info on 'Perth Scotland'.
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