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Perthshire Castles

Q: Which Perthshire castles are best for families?

Families visiting Perthshire often enjoy Blair Castle and Scone Palace thanks to their gardens, woodland walks, exhibitions, cafes and adventure play areas for children.

Q: Do Perthshire castles have cafes and gift shops?

Yes, many of Perthshire’s most popular castles offer cafés, tearooms and gift shops for visitors. Blair Castle features the Tullibardine Restaurant serving lunches, coffee and home baking, alongside a gift shop selling Scottish gifts, books, souvenirs and Atholl Highlanders memorabilia. Balhousie Castle, home to The Black Watch Museum, also includes a café and gift shop with local produce, military memorabilia and Scottish gifts.

Q: What castles can you tour inside in Perthshire?

Visitors can explore the interiors of castles including Blair Castle, Castle Menzies and Elcho Castle. Many feature preserved rooms, historic artefacts, staircases, battlements and exhibitions about Scottish history.

Q: What is the oldest castle in Perthshire?

Blair Castle, located near Pitlochry, is often considered one of the oldest in Perthshire, with its earliest section, Cumming’s Tower, dating back to 1269. It is the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl and is famous for housing Europe’s last remaining private army, the Atholl Highlanders.

Q: Are there haunted castles in Perthshire?

Yes, several Perthshire castles are associated with ghost stories and legends. Huntingtower Castle is said to be haunted by the “Green Lady”, linked to the famous legend of the lovers’ leap between the castle towers.

20 May 2026

Think of Scotland and you’ll no doubt bring to mind romantic images of spectacular castles set into wild landscapes of years gone by. Or perhaps you envision the bloodied battle scenes of history, played out against the backdrop of stately homes and majestic ruins.

Today, many of these castles have been transformed into popular visitor attractions and here in Perthshire they range from Scone Palace, the crowning place of Scottish Kings, to the remains of Huntingtower Castle and the famed leap of the green lady.

See All See All

Castle Menzies

Aberfeldy

Blair Castle

Pitlochry

Blue, sunny day with old large stone castle.

Huntingtower Castle

Perth

Old stone large castle, on a winters day with snow on roof.

Elcho Castle

Perth

Old, stone turreted building with small narrow holes for windows, under a blue sky.

Loch Leven Castle

Kinross

Scone Palace

Perth

The Black Watch Castle and Museum

Perth

Scone Palace

Although technically a Palace and not a Castle, Scone Palace was the crowning place of Scotland's Kings and one of Perthshire's most historic attractions. Explore the beautiful woodlands and gardens that surround the Palace, and take a stroll through the many different rooms which bear great significance in the history of the country.

Macbeth, Robert the Bruce and Charles II are three famous Scottish Kings that were crowned at Scone Palace. You can see where they were crowned, and gaze upon where the Stone of Destiny once stood. Take a wander down the Long Galley, where King Charles II strode to his coronation in 1661.

There are fantastic audio-visual exhibits, gift shop and a restaurant ( a scone in Scone Palace anyone?) and it is surrounded by beautiful gardens and peaceful woodlands. Perfect for a picnic or a stroll in the sun. Keep you eyes peeled for the Scone Palace peacocks roaming the grounds.

Scone Palace