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Go Wild This Summer with Bear's Big Adventure Trail

23 June 2026

A bear sculpture which is painted to look like it's made of tin sitting outside of the Perth Theatre.
Get ready to embark on the ultimate family adventure this summer as Bear’s Big Adventure Trail takes over Perth and Kinross. For ten weeks, 30 larger-than-life bears and 30 adorable cubs will transform towns, villages and visitor attractions into a giant bear hunt.

Bringing colour, creativity and plenty of reasons to explore Perth and Kinross, the free trail has transformed the region into a beautiful open-air gallery, with every bear telling its own story and helping raise funds for YMCA Tayside.

Whether you're a serious bear hunter, an art lover or simply looking for a brilliant day out, here's everything you need to know.

Where can you find the bears?

One of the joys of the trail is that it takes visitors far beyond the city centre.  You'll find bears in:

  • Perth city centre – Perth Museum, Perth Art Gallery, Perth Theatre, Rodney Gardens, St John's Centre, AK Bell Library, Black Watch Museum and more.
  • Eastern Perthshire – Alyth, Blairgowrie, Errol and Scone Palace.
  • Highland Perthshire – Dunkeld and Birnam, Pitlochry, Aberfeldy and Kenmore.
  • Strathearn – Crieff, Comrie and Auchterarder.
  • Kinross – with a bear overlooking the town from Kirkgate Car Park.

And don't forget the Wee Bru's Trail, featuring 30 cub sculptures created by local primary schools and youth groups, hidden in attractions and businesses across Perth and Kinross.

Your pocket guide to the adventure

The easiest way to make the most of the trail is with the official Bear’s Big Adventure app, now available on Apple and Android for £1.99.

More than just a map, the app lets you collect bears as you find them, vote for your favourites, upload photos and track your progress as you travel around the region. There are stories about the sculptures, artist information, rewards to unlock and a certificate for those determined hunters who complete the full trail.

Download Here
A brown bear with a compass painted on it's chest.

A trail packed with local creativity

No two bears are alike, with each sculpture individually designed by artists from across Scotland and the UK. Several have strong Perthshire connections, bringing a distinctly local flavour to the trail. Every sculpture has its own name, personality and story, and we can’t wait to discover who your favourite character is going to be!

Perthshire artist Charlotte Brayley has created Perthshire’s Picnic Perfection, celebrating the county’s wonderful produce and landscapes, while Dundee-based Douglas Roulston brings his own style to MacEarn, which can be found in Crieff High Street.

Nearby, visitors to The Hermitage can discover Aurora Ursa, designed by Perthshire artist Lorraine Ward, inspired by the natural beauty of Highland Perthshire. Elsewhere, Shadow Bear by Gail Robertson watches over the riverside route towards Grandtully, while Perth's own John Fairley has created the eye-catching Copper Bear outside Perth Theatre.

And if rugby is your thing, don’t miss Scrum by Rio Moore at Taymouth Marina. This very special Rugby bear has been signed by The Glasgow Warriers making him a real collector’s piece. (Start saving now for the auction, folks!).

A brown bear with Perth Museum painted on it outside the real Perth Museum.

Museum Laid Bear by Nicola McBride

A ceramic bear which has honeycomb, bees and flowers painted around it.

Pollinator Strategy Bear by Rebecca Lindsay

Join in the fun

Part of the beauty of Bear’s Big Adventure is that all ages can take part. Families can turn it into a summer-long challenge, friends can compete to see who collects the most bears, and everyone can use it as the perfect excuse to discover parts of Perth and Kinross they’ve never visited before.

And, of course, no adventure is complete without souvenirs. Bear-themed gifts, books and keepsakes are available from the Bear Hub at Perth Museum and the Y Centre on Atholl Street, so you can take a little piece of the adventure home with you.

As the summer draws to a close, all 30 bears will reunite for one final appearance at the Grand Bear Family Fun Farewell at Scone Palace on 12 and 13 September 2026. It will be the only chance to see the entire collection together before they head off to their forever homes.

Then, on 17 September, the bears will go under the hammer in a special charity auction, raising vital funds for YMCA Tayside and the youth work it delivers across the region. Bringing the adventure to a fitting and star-studded close, TV personality and antiques expert Natasha Raskin Sharp, familiar to millions from Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt, will take up the gavel as auctioneer, helping the much-loved sculptures find their forever homes while supporting young people across Tayside.

A colourful bear with different woodland animals enjoying a meadow

Woody and Friends by Riki O'Neill

A cermaic bear painted to look like it is made of copper to represent the industrialisation.

Copper Bear by John Fairley

A roaring good summer awaits

Bear’s Big Adventure is much more than an art trail. It’s a celebration of creativity, community and the places that make Perth and Kinross special.

So, whether you’re a seasoned bear hunter, a curious visitor or simply looking for your next family day out, there’s never been a better excuse to get out and explore.

After all, who could resist a summer spent chasing bears around Perthshire? 

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! The bears are completely free to enjoy, set off and find as many bears as you can in Perth.

There is an app which has a map for all the locations of the bears. It can be downloaded on all the major app stores for a small fee to help support the YMCA. 

There are 30 large bear sculptures waiting to be discovered across Perth and Kinross, each featuring its own unique design created by talented artists.

From bustling town centres to popular visitor destinations, every bear offers a new surprise and a reason to explore somewhere new.

Whether you're aiming to find them all or simply spotting a few along the way, Bear's Big Adventure Trail is packed with opportunities for fun, adventure and unforgettable family memories. 

Bear's Big Adventure Trail is more than just a sculpture trail – it's an invitation to explore Perth and Kinross in a fun and engaging way. The trail combines striking artwork with the region's towns, attractions and landscapes, encouraging visitors to discover places they may not have visited before.

You can choose to explore as much or as little of the trail as you like. While keen adventurers may try to visit as many bears as possible in a single day, many visitors prefer to spread their bear hunt across several days, using it as an opportunity to discover different towns, villages and attractions throughout Perthshire.

The trail has been created to bring communities together, celebrate art and creativity, and raise vital funds for YMCA Tayside's youth programmes. It also encourages visitors to explore Perth and Kinross, supporting local businesses and attractions along the way.

The official trail map and app will help you locate sculptures and plan your route. You can focus on a particular town, create a family day out around several bears, or turn your visit into a longer Perthshire break to discover even more of the region.

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