The Local Area

Alyth is a small picturesque town situated in the east of Perthshire. To the south, Perth is but 25 minutes away, to the north, lies the Spittal of Glenshee where you will find Scotland’s largest skiing area, to the west, lochs and glens await including the highest peak in Perthshire, Ben Lawers at some 1214 metres.

 

Perthshire is a varied county of great beauty with mystical highland moors and lowland soft berry fields, distilleries, historic castles, dramatic waterfalls and is of course, a sportsman’s paradise.

 

Perthshire is also known as big tree country where you will find many large specimens, including:

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• the Fortingall Yew, which is the oldest living tree in Europe at 3000 years old

• the Meikleour Beech Hedge is the worlds tallest at 30 metres high and 530 metres long. Planted in 1745, legend has it that Jean Mercer of Meikleour allowed the hedge to grow to the heavens in remembrance of her husband Robert Murray Nairne, who died at the battle of Culloden

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There has been a settlement at Alyth since ancient times and the town is now approximately a thousand years old. Granted a Charter by King James III in 1488, Alyth was then raised to the rank of Burgh of Barony which gave the right to hold markets and fairs.

 

The Queich (or Alyth Burn) runs through the middle of the town with several bridges crossing over, the oldest of which is the packhorse bridge which dates back to the 16th century and can still be crossed on foot.

 

Alyth is also linked with Arthurian legend as on nearby Barry Hill lies the ruin of a fort in which it was said that Mordred held Queen Guinevere captive.