It’s easy to like Dunkeld on first sight. Its setting is dramatic, at the point where the gentle Lowlands start to surrender to brutal, gnarly Highland mountains, this far south still tree-shrouded. Spend a weekend there, and you will probably fall head over heels in love with this picturesque and deeply historic town on the banks of the river Tay.
The north banks of the Tay – Scotland’s longest river – once marked the start of bandit country, the Highland clan-dominated wildscape where Roman legionaries and English soldiers used to disappear into the mists. Today, peace has descended on this well-to-do town in the Perthshire North constituency of John Swinney, the First Minister. The surging natural barrier of the Tay has been tamed by one of Thomas Telford’s most elegant bridges – make sure to look out for otters and beavers as you cross.
Dunkeld today is alive with independent shops, excellent restaurants and cosy pubs, with a rich web of walks out into those wilds starting right on Atholl Street, the town’s elegant main thoroughfare.
What’s old?
This deeply storied town has delicious historic legacies to explore, boosted by a restoration programme that brought a sweep of older buildings back to life at the tail end of the last century.
The hulking riverside Dunkeld Cathedral was once Scotland’s most important ecclesiastical building, when St Columba’s bones were spirited here in AD 849 to keep them safe from Viking raiders.
The scars of later turbulence are the musket balls embedded in the sturdy stone walls that helped defend the Hanoverian usurpers against the Jacobite clansmen in 1689, during the pivotal Battle of Dunkeld. British history may have been very different if the Jacobites had continued their winning streak and swept south.
Just across the Tay is the Birnam Oak, all that is left of once-mighty Birnam Wood, an inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Macbeth when the bard visited Dunkeld in the 16th century.
Dunkeld Community Archive is a must; it’s a treasure trove of local history run by passionate volunteers. History and Horror Tours, meanwhile, sweep you back through the centuries with their lively guided heritage walks, led by a colourful, knowledgeable guide in period costume.
What’s new?
The rebirth of Atholl Street is Dunkeld’s 21st-century success story. Real civic pride is demonstrated by the number of businesses using the town in their name, such as Dunkeld Smoked Salmon, Dunkeld Whisky Box and the deli Dunkeld’s.
The pre-eminent local festival is the month-long Enchanted Forest, which brings Faskally Wood, just to the north, alive with an explosion of sound and vision every autumn.
Look out for Dunkeld and Birnam farmers’ markets, where Perthshire’s bountiful produce stars. The annual Santa Day – also held in conjunction with the village of Birnam, just across the Tay – offers food stalls as well as local arts and crafts.
Do this
It’s a 10-minute drive – or a riverside hike – to the National Trust for Scotland’s Hermitage. Fittingly for “Big Tree Country” (one of Perthshire’s monikers), this remarkable site is home to some of the tallest trees in the British Isles – soaring Douglas firs that are older than you.
Stroll the banks of the river Braan in good company with cute red squirrels and the ghosts of William Wordsworth and JMW Turner, just two of the artistic luminaries who have sought inspiration here.
You will find more red squirrels when you walk to the Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve and peer out of the hides, but the main attraction is the resident ospreys. There is a live osprey webcam if these mighty birds of prey are enjoying a duvet day.
Eat here
Dunkeld offers an impressive swath of dining treats. The Taybank impresses with its views of Dunkeld Bridge and the Tay. Think modern Scottish: Shetland cod spiced with bacon, or local squid in a cauliflower and parsley emulsion; their negroni, with a Scottish cherry-tinged vermouth, is a delight.
Z’s Bistro at the Atholl Arms Hotel offers creative takes too, such as haggis bon bons spiced with mustard crème fraîche, plus seasonal treats such as locally foraged chanterelles.
Redwood Wines deserves the awards for its immaculately curated vintages. The Good Food Guide is a huge fan. On the food front, how about an aged Aberdeen Angus beef focaccia with tarragon aioli and pickled red onions?
Drink here
For real ale and a cosy log-burning stove, retreat to the Perth Arms Hotel. It dances the fine line between traditional and tartan twee, with enough locals to keep it real. The Taybank has a zeitgeist-pleasing hipster appeal, and the riverfront terrace is gorgeous on a sunny day. Look out for otters.
Shop here
Dunkeld’s bijou Atholl Street harbours a splash of independent businesses. The queues at the superb ARAN Bakery are not just thanks to TikTok. Perthshire’s soft fruits are world-class, so try the bramble, blueberry and honey Danish.
Old timers Jeffreys will kit you out with swish home styling to impress this affluent region’s hunting, shooting and fishing Range Rover brigade.
Stay here
The Taybank is Dunkeld’s hippest hotel, a Scandi-chic oasis by the Tay that feels as though it has been curated for a glossy fashion magazine. It’s all very hygge (“coorie” in these parts), with lovely wee touches such as its own blend coffee and excellent bakes from nearby ARAN Bakery.
From a local
Morgwn Preston-Jones, co-owner of Redwood Wines, says: “I come from California and immediately fell in love with Dunkeld in every way, as I met my wife in Dunkeld and then settled here. What struck me, as well as the beauty of the town and its surroundings, was the real sense of a living and breathing community.”
From a visitor
Daniel Parsons says: “I was driving north to Inverness and just stopped in Dunkeld for lunch. I liked it so much I booked a couple of nights here on the way back to Edinburgh. It’s great – a real town with loads to do and a real taste of the Highlands all around too.”