There has been a settlement at Perth sinceprehistoric times. It is a natural mound raised slightly above the flood plain of the Tay. The area surrounding the modern city is known to have been occupied ever since the arrival ofMesolithichunter-gatherers. NearbyNeolithic standing stones and circles date from about 4,000BC, a period that followed the introduction of farming into the area. Close to Perth isScone Abbey, which formerly housed theStone of Scone (also known as the Stone of Destiny), on which theKing of Scots were traditionally crowned. This enhanced the early importance of the city, and Perth became known as a "capital" of Scotland due to the frequent residence there of the royal court.Royal burgh status was given to the city by KingWilliam the Lion in the early 12th century. The city became one of the richest burghs in the country, engaging in trade with France, theLow Countries, and theBaltic countries, and importing goods such as Spanish silk and French wine.
TheScottish Reformation had a strong impact on the city: the Houses of theGreyfriars andBlackfriars, two of Perth's four monastic institutions at the time of the Reformation,[7] were ransacked after a sermon given byJohn Knox inSt John's Kirk in 1559. The 1701Act of Settlement brought aboutJacobite uprisings. The city was occupied by Jacobite supporters on three occasions: in 1689, 1715 and 1745. The founding ofPerth Academy in 1760 helped to bring major industries to the city, including the production oflinen, leather,bleach andwhisky. Perth was fortuitously placed to become a key transport centre with the coming of the railways, and its first station was built in 1848.
Perth has been known as "The Fair City" since the publication of the novelFair Maid of Perth by Scottish writerSir Walter Scott in 1828. During the later medieval period the city was also called St John's Toun or Saint Johnstoun by its inhabitants—a reference to its principal church, which was dedicated to StJohn the Baptist. This name is preserved in the name of the city's football club,St Johnstone F.C. The city often refers to itself using the promotional nickname "Gateway to theHighlands", a reference to its location.[8]
Today, Perth serves as a retail centre for the surrounding area, and in 2018 the city was named "Scotland's Food Town of 2018" by the Scottish Food Awards.[9] Following the decline of the local whisky industry, the city diversified its economy, building on its long-established presence in the insurance industry to increase its standing in the banking industry.
The namePerth derives from aPictish word for 'wood' or 'copse', related to theWelshperth, meaning 'hedge' or 'thicket'.[10] During much of the later medieval period, it was known colloquially by its Scots-speaking inhabitants asSt John's Toun orSaint Johnstoun because the church at the centre of the parish was dedicated to StJohn the Baptist.[11] Perth was referred to asSt John's ton up until the mid-1600s with the namePerthia being reserved for the wider area.[12] At this time,Perthia becamePerth Shyre andSt John's ton became known asPerth.[12]
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.[11] Finds in and around Perth show that it was occupied by theMesolithichunter-gatherers who arrived in the area more than 8,000 years ago. NearbyNeolithic standing stones and circles followed the introduction of farming from about 4,000BC, and a remarkably well preservedBronze Agelog boat dated to around 1,000 BC was found in themudflats of the River Tay atCarpow to the east of Perth.[13]
Perth developed from an initial plan of two parallel streets:High Street andSouth Street, linked byseveral vennels leading north and south. The names of these vennels have historic origins, and many—such as Cow Vennel andFleshers' Vennel—recall the trades associated with their foundation. South Street was originally terminated at its eastern end byGowrie House (site of today'sPerth Sheriff Court). Upon its demolition in the early 19th century, direct access was granted to the river.[14]
The presence ofScone two miles (3 km) northeast, the main royal centre of theKingdom of Alba from at least the reign ofKenneth I (843–858), and later the site of the majorAugustinian abbey of the same name founded byAlexander I (1107–1124), enhanced Perth's early importance. Perth was considered the effective capital of Scotland, due to the frequent residence of the royal court.Royal burgh status was awarded to the city byKing William the Lion in the early 12th century. During the 12th and 13th centuries, Perth was one of the richest trading burghs in the kingdom (along with such places asBerwick-upon-Tweed, Aberdeen andRoxburgh), a residence of numerous craftsmen, organised into guilds (theHammermen and Glovers, for example). Perth also carried out an extensive trade with France,The Low Countries and theBaltic Countries with luxury goods being brought back in return, such as Spanish silk and French pottery and wine.[15] The royal castle (on or near the site of the presentmulti-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.[16] It was never rebuilt, and Perth was protected at this time only by partial walls and an inventive[clarification needed] water system,Perth Lade, sourced from theRiver Almond, which divided and flowed to the north on one side and the west and south on the other, eventually joining the Tay.[17]
KingEdward I brought his armies to Perth in 1296, and with only aditch for defence and little fortification, the city fell quickly.[18] Stronger fortifications were quickly built by the English, and plans to wall the city took shape in 1304. They remained standing untilRobert the Bruce's recapture of Perth in 1312.[19] As part of a plan to make Perth a permanent English base within Scotland,Edward III forced six monasteries inPerthshire andFife to pay for the construction of stone defensive walls, towers and fortified gates around the city in 1336. These defences were the strongest of any city in Scotland in the Middle Ages. The last remnant of the wall can be seen in Albert Close, near to the main entrance to theRoyal George Hotel.[20][21]
An 1832 map of Perth byJames Gardner. It shows only one bridge (Perth Bridge) crossing the Tay.Tay Street had not yet been built, though some buildings exist on what would be its western side. St John's Kirk is marked
In May 1559,John Knox instigated theScottish Reformation at grass-roots level with a sermon against 'idolatry' in the burgh kirk of St John the Baptist.[23] An inflamed mob quickly destroyed the altars in the kirk, and attacked the Houses of the Greyfriars and Blackfriars, and theCarthusian Priory. Scone Abbey was sacked shortly afterwards. The regent of infantMary, Queen of Scots, her motherMarie de Guise, was successful in quelling the rioting butpresbyterianism in Perth remained strong. Perth played a part in the Covenanting struggle and Perth was sacked for two days by Royalist troops after theBattle of Tippermuir in 1644.[24] In 1651,Charles II was crowned at nearby Scone Abbey, the traditional site of the investiture of Kings of Scots. That same year,Oliver Cromwell came to Perth following his victory in theBattle of Dunbar and established a fortified citadel on theSouth Inch, one of five occupation forts built to control Scotland.[25] The restoration of Charles II was not without incident, and with theAct of Settlement in 1701, came theJacobite uprisings. The city was occupied by Jacobite soldiers in 1689, 1715 and 1745.
In 1760, Perth Academy was founded, and major industry came to the city, now with a population of 15,000.Linen, leather,bleached products andwhisky were its major exports. 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 carriages became popular in the 1890s; they were quickly replaced by electric trams ofPerth Corporation Tramways.
Despite being agarrison city and undergoing major social and industrial developments during the First World War, Perth remained relatively unchanged. In 1829, with the settlement of the Swan River Colony, inWestern Australia,Sir George Murray wanted it to be namedPerth after the place where he was born. The shipParmelia sailed to Australia to found the new settlement.[26] The oldMunicipal Buildings were completed in 1881, although the Perth and Kinross District Council moved to the former head office ofGeneral Accident at No.2 High Street in 1984.[27]
For the purposes of theScottish Parliament, Perth forms part of the constituencies ofPerthshire North andPerthshire South and Kinross-shire. These two constituencies were created in 2011 as two of the nine constituencies within theMid Scotland and Fife electoral region. Each constituency elects oneMember 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. Perthshire North is currently represented byJohn Swinney[31] (SNP) and Perthshire South and Kinross-shire is currently represented byJim Fairlie (SNP).
Perth'sSheriff Court, on Tay Street, is a Category Alisted building. The building was designed by London architect SirRobert Smirke, built in 1819 and stands on the site of Gowrie House, the place where a plot to killKing James VI was hatched in 1600.[32]
The classic definition of Perth has been as a city. In the late 1990s, theUK Government and the devolvedScottish Executive re-examined the definition[33] of a city and produced a list of approved cities, from which Perth was omitted. It was therefore considered to be a "former city", likeBrechin andElgin.
Yet road signs around the borders used the term "The City of Perth", and directional signs within indicated "City Centre". In June 2007,Alex Salmond, then theFirst Minister of Scotland, backed a campaign to confer city status on Perth, saying it should be granted "at the next commemorative opportunity".[34] The local authority,Perth and Kinross, stated that the 800th anniversary of the city in 2009 should create "a foundation for Perth to bid for formal city status".[35]
Perth was one of the 26 bidders for city status to mark theQueen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. On 14 March 2012, Perth's city status was successfully reinstated, along withChelmsford andSt Asaph. It became Scotland's seventh city.[36][37]The Queen visited Perth on 6 July 2012, for what was the culmination of the Scottish leg of her Diamond Jubilee tour. Her previous visit to the city had been to open thePerth Concert Hall, in 2005.[38]
The coat of arms dates back to at least the 14th century, and is first recorded, as described, on a seal of 1378. Red and silver are the colours ofJohn the Baptist, the town's patron saint, and the lamb is his symbol. The double-headed eagle, originally a Roman symbol, may refer to a former Roman settlement called "Bertha" near where Perth now stands.[39]
The double-headed eagle was adopted as the supporter of the arms ofPerth and Kinross when thatcouncil area was created in 1975.
In 1891, the population of Perth was 30,768. In 1901, it was 32,872, an increase of 2,104 in ten years.[40] According to the 2022 Census for Scotland, ONS data for Perth and Kinross[41] increased to 151,120.
According to the2001 UK Census, Perth had a total population of 43,450.[42] A more recent population estimate of the city has been recorded as 44,820 in 2008.[46] The demographic make-up of the population is much in line with the rest of Scotland. The age group from 30 to 44 forms the largest portion of the population (22%).[42] The median age of males and females living in Perth was 37 and 40 years respectively, compared to 37 and 39 years for those in the whole of Scotland.[42]
The place of birth of the city's residents was 95.42% United Kingdom (including 87.80% from Scotland), 0.52% Republic of Ireland, 1.18% from other European Union countries, and 1.88% from elsewhere in the world. The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 57.10% in full-time employment, 12.90% in part-time employment, 6.08% self-employed, 3.29% unemployed, 2.37% students with jobs, 2.84% students without jobs, 14.75% retired, 4.93% looking after home or family, 5.94% permanently sick or disabled, and 4.07% economically inactive for other reasons. Compared with the average demography of Scotland, Perth has low proportions of people born outside theEuropean Union, but has both higher proportions born within the European Union and those over 75 years old.
The PerthIslamic community meet at a mosque on Glasgow Road.[58]
The number of adherents to these religions is in decline. In the 2011 census, almost 40% of respondents indicated that they did not adhere to any religion.[48]
Situated at the southern extremity of a spacious and fertile plain, Perth itself is flat (as are the areas immediately to the north, east and west), but it is nestled between the following hills (includes distance from Perth and summit height):[59]
As with most of theBritish Isles, Perth has anoceanic climate (KöppenCfb) with cool summers and mild winters. The nearestMet Office weather station is atStrathallan, around 5 mi (8 km) from the centre of Perth.Temperatures extremes since 1960 have ranged from −18.6 °C (−1 °F) in January 1963 to 32.0 °C (90 °F) in July 2022. However, a temperature of −21.7 °C (−7 °F) was recorded on 14 November 1919.[60] As well as this, the temperature reached 31.1 °C (88.0 °F) on 28 June 2018. The coldest temperature recorded in recent years is −17.8 °C (0 °F) in December 2010. However, nearby Strathallan reported −18.0 °C (0 °F) in February 2021.[61] In an average year, the warmest day rises to around 27 °C (81 °F), and about four days exceed 25 °C (77 °F).
Climate data for Perth (23 m asl, averages 1991–2020, extremes 1960–present)
The strength of Perth's economy lies in its diversity, with a balance of large companies, the public sector, a broad range of small and medium-sized enterprises and many self-employed business people. The development inrenewable energy, insurance, manufacturing,leisure, health and transport is stimulating employment. The largest employer in the city is Perth and Kinross Council which employ 6,000 people. Other main employers includeNHS Tayside,SSE plc, andPerth College UHI (part of theUniversity of the Highlands and Islands). The leading international transportation companyStagecoach Group also has its global headquarters in the city.[64]
Perth was formerly headquarters of insurance firmGeneral Accident; however, since General Accident merged withNorwich Union to formAviva, the office has been primarily used as acall centre.
Perth's city centre is situated to the west of the banks of the River Tay.[65] The pedestrianised portion of the High Street, which runs from the junction ofSt John Street to Scott Street, is the main focus of the shopping area.[65] The centre has a variety of major and independent retailers. The major retailers are largely based on the High Street, St John Street and in the St John's Centre. Independent retailers can be found on George Street, St John Street, Princes Street, Methven Street, theOld High Street and Canal Street.[28] A £3 million pound project for the High Street andKing Edward Street provided new seating, lighting and the laying of natural stone in 2010.[66] A retail park, constructed in 1988, exists to the north-west of the city centre on St Catherine's Road, and provides eight purpose-built units.[67]
McEwens department store was in business on St John's Street for almost 150 years. It closed in March 2016.[68]
Before thecredit crisis, Perth's economy was growing at 2.6% per year, considerably above the Scottish average of 2.1%. Since the credit crisis, growth has slowed considerably, though still remained above the Scottish average.[69]
The Perth economy is ranked in the Top 10 enterprisingdemographics in Scotland, with an average of 42.6 registered enterprises per 10,000 residents putting it well above the Scottish average of 30.1.
Perth Museum and Art Gallery, at the eastern end of George Street, is recognised as one of the oldest provincial museums in Scotland.[28] Another museum, known as the Fergusson Gallery, has, since 1992, been located in the Category A listed formerPerth Water Works building onTay Street. This contains the major collection of the works of the artistJohn Duncan Fergusson.[28]
Perth Theatre opened in 1900.[70]It underwent a £10 million redevelopment to house new studio space, a youth theatre, construction workshop and a series of front of house performance areas and new main entrance fromMill Street in addition to the main focus of the conservation and restoration of the historic Victorian auditorium.[71]Perth Concert Hall, which opened in 2005, was built on the site of the former Horsecross Market.[72]
Perth City Hall has been used as a venue for several high-profile concerts over the years, includingMorrissey,[73] as well asConservative Party conferences.[74] The hall is currently being converted into a new heritage and arts attraction.[75]
Thenew-wave bandFiction Factory formed in Perth, and had some success with their hit "(Feels Like) Heaven" in 1984. The song, which reached number six in the charts, was their biggest hit.
The Perth Festival of the Arts is an annual collection of art, theatre, opera and classical music events in the city. 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. Perth also has a number of twin cities around the world. These are:Aschaffenburg in Germany,Bydgoszcz in Poland,Haikou, Hainan in China,Perth in Australia,Perth in Canada,Pskov in Russia andCognac in France.[76]
Perth has hosted theNational Mòd in 1896, 1900, 1924, 1929, 1947, 1954, 1963, 1980 and 2004.[77]
The Category A listedSt John's Kirk, on St John's Place, is architecturally and historically one of the most significant buildings in Perth.[78] The settlement of the original church dates back to the mid-12th century.[79] During the middle of the 12th century, the church was allowed to fall into disrepair, when most of the revenues were used by David I to fundDunfermline Abbey.[78] The majority of the present church was constructed between 1440 and 1500.[78] Though much altered, its tower and lead-clad spire continue to dominate the Perth skyline. The Church has lost its medieval south porch andsacristy, and the northtransept was shortened during the course of the 19th century during street-widening. A rare treasure, a unique survival in Scotland, is a 15th-century brass candelabrum or chandelier, imported from theLow Countries. The survival of this object is all the more remarkable as it includes a statuette of theVirgin Mary. It is thought to have been hung in the Skinner's aisle.[80] An inventory of 1544 lists another hanging brass chandelier as an ornament of the altar of Our Lady.[81]
Another Category A listed building is the formerKing James VI Hospital, built in 1750 on the site of the formerPerth Charterhouse, which was burned in 1559 during the Reformation.[82]
The spire of Category B listed[83] St Paul's Church, which was completed in 1807 is a major focus point around St Paul's Square at the junction of Old High Street and North Methven Street. The development of the church led to an expansion of the city to the west.[28] Pullar House on Mill Street was once used byJ. Pullar and Sons dyeworks, the largest industry in Perth at one time, and has since been converted into office use for Perth and Kinross Council in 2000.[28]
The Category B listedFair Maid's House, in North Port, is the oldest surviving secular building in Perth.[84][85] Built on the foundations of previous buildings, parts of the structure date back from 1475.[84] The building was used as the home of Catherine Glover in the novelThe Fair Maid of Perth, which was written bySir Walter Scott in 1828.[28]
Robert Burns Lounge
Another bard,Robert Burns, is memorialised with a small statue in a niche above the Robert Burns Lounge Bar, at 5 County Place.[86][87] It is the work of a local sculptor William Anderson, the son of noted painterDavid Anderson, who was active in the mid-19th century. The statue was installed in 1854 on what was then the sculptor's house. It was later moved to North Methven Street until 1886, then to the 1 Albert Place home of photographer John Henderson, but was returned after Anderson's death.[88]
The nearby City Mills, built to servePerth Lade from the River Almond, was once the site of industry until the early 19th century. Only the Upper andLower City Mills survive to this day.[28] The Category A listed Lower City Mills, which date from 1805,[89] were used for barley and oatmeal, while the Category A listed Upper Mills, of 1792,[90] consisted of two wheat mills connected to a granary.[28]
After Perth reclaimed its city status in 2012,Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust began the process of conserving the city's historic buildings and structures via the Perth City Heritage Fund (PCHF), which is funded by theScottish Government.[91] Its aim is to encourage owners of historic buildings within the bounds of Perth Central and Kinnoull Conservation Areas by assisting their repair and renovation work with grants.[91]
Funds have, thus far, been received in three phases: 2012–2015, 2015–2018, and (the most recent) 2018–2021. Funding for the latter part of 2021 and 2022 is expected.[91]
Phases 1 and 2 provided just over £1 million of grant assistance for almost fifty projects.[91]
The sole newspaper based in the city is thePerthshire Advertiser, owned byTrinity Mirror. The newspaper's offices are based in Watergate, but the newspaper itself is printed inBlantyre.[citation needed] It outlasted both thePerthshire Courier (established in 1809) and thePerthshire Constitutional and Journal (1832).[92]
Television signals are received from theAngus TV transmitter[93] and the local relay TV transmitter situated south east of the city.[94]
Dewar's Centre, an ice rink, stands on the site formerly occupied by a bonded warehouse forDewar's Scotch whisky, pictured here in 1988, shortly before its demolition
On the western edge of the North Inch isBell's Sports Centre. Prior to the building of the Greenwich Dome, it was the largest domed building in Britain.[99]
Perth Leisure Pool, to the west of the railway station on the Glasgow Road, is the city's swimming centre. The modern leisure pool complex was built in the mid-1980s to replace the traditional public swimming baths (established 1887),[100] which used to sit just off the Dunkeld Road.
Adjacent to Perth Leisure Pool is theDewar's Centre, which includes an eight-lane ice rink. It has long been a main centre ofcurling in Scotland, and 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 indoorbowling hall, hosting major competitions. Historically, Perth had a successfulice 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 two seasons, they played their home games atDundee Ice Arena. The Dewar's distillery that stood on the site until 1988 was one of the country's "big three" blenders. Its location was chosen due to its proximity to the General Railway Station, whose tracks behind the western side of the building.[101] The distillery was one of the city's largest employers.[102]
In 2024, plans were announced to close Perth Leisure Pool, Bell's Sports Centre and Dewar's Centre and replace them with a single new sports centre. This new facility would not include an ice rink.[103]
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 North Inch. Teams competing traditionally camp alongside the outdoor courts with the campsite being administered by localcadets. The Scottish Volleyball Association's annual general meeting is also held at the same time as the tournament.
TheNorth Inch, looking southeast towards the city centre
Perth is also home to two main parks, namely the North Inch and South Inch (the word "Inch" being an anglicisation of the Gaelicinnis meaning island or meadow). The Inches were given to the city in 1377 byKing Robert III.
The North Inch is directly north of the city centre, bordered to the south by Charlotte Street and Atholl Street and to the southwest byRose Terrace, named forRose Anderson, the wife ofThomas Hay Marshall, whose house was on the Atholl Street corner.[104] A recreational path circumnavigates the entire park.
The River Tay bounds it to the east. A little farther to the north is the Inch's eponymous golf course.[105]
Situated 0.5 mi (800 m) 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 South Inch Terrace; and to the west by the rear of the houses on St Leonards Bank. The Edinburgh Road passes through its eastern third. The South Inch offers various activities, including bowling, an adventure playground, a skate park, 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.
Another park in the city,Norie-Miller Walk, is located across the Tay.
Further and higher education, including a range of degrees, is available throughPerth College UHI, one of the largest partners in theUniversity of the Highlands and Islands. It ran a network of learning centres across the area, inBlairgowrie,Crieff,Kinross and Pathways in Perth, although these closed in 2019.[106] In 2000, an interdisciplinaryCentre for Mountain Studies was established at the college.[107] It also owns AST (Air Service Training) which delivers a range of aircraft engineering courses.
The city itself wasbypassed to the south and east by the M90 in the 1970s and to the west by the A9 in 1986. The M90, A9 and A93 all meet atBroxden Junction, one of the busiest and most importantroad junctions in Scotland. Uniquely, all seven of Scotland's cities are signposted from here:Glasgow andStirling via the A9 southbound, Dundee and Aberdeen via the A90, Edinburgh via the M90,Inverness via the A9 northbound, and Perth itself via the A93 through the city centre. The final part of the M90 included the construction of theFriarton Bridge in 1978 to facilitate travel to Dundee and Aberdeen to the east of the city, finally removing inter-city traffic from the centre.[108] The bridge is the most northerly piece of the motorway network in the United Kingdom.
There are four bridges that cross the River Tay in Perth. The northernmost structure isSmeaton'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).[109] A former tollbooth building, on the southern side of the bridge at theBridgend end of the bridge, is a category Clisted building dating from around 1800. It was J. S. Lees Fish & Poultry Shop later in its life.[110]
Next, some 500 yd (460 m) downstream, isQueen's Bridge, which also carries vehicular 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 byQueen Elizabeth II in October of that year.[109] The third bridge in the centre of Perth is theTay Viaduct, a single-track railway bridge carrying trains to and from the railway station, 0.5 mi (800 m) to the north-west. It was completed in 1863. A pedestrian walkway lies on its northern side.[109] Finally, the southernmost crossing of the Tay inside Perth's boundary is the aforementioned Friarton Bridge.
The construction of a fifth bridge farther upstream (north) from the existing bridges was being considered in 2012.[111]
Perth railway station has regular services toFife andEdinburgh Waverley via theForth Bridge, east to Dundee and Aberdeen, south toStirling andGlasgow Queen Street, and north toInverness; however, as a result of theBeeching Axe, the main line to Aberdeen throughStrathmore via Coupar Angus and Forfar was closed to passenger traffic in 1967; Aberdeen services have since taken the less direct route via Dundee. Similarly, the direct main line to Edinburgh viaGlenfarg,Dunfermline and theForth Bridge was abandoned in 1970 in favour of the longer, more circuitous route via Stirling. This closure was not recommended by Beeching, but allowed the M90 motorway to be built on top of the former the railway alignment in the Glenfarg area. In 1975, most Edinburgh trains were re-routed via Ladybank and the Forth Bridge, with some improvement in journey time.
A railway station also existed on Princes Street, which was built in the late 18th century to connect the Edinburgh Road to the new bridge.Perth Princes Street railway station opened on 24 May 1847 on theDundee and Perth Railway. It closed to regular passenger traffic on 28 February 1966. The line passes behind Marshall Place and is carried over cross streets by several bridges.[14]
Local buses are run byStagecoach East Scotland. Inter-city bus travel is made fromLeonard Street bus station and connects to most major destinations in Scotland. The budgetMegabus service is centred on Broxden Junction, 2.25 mi (3.62 km) outside the city centre, and runs direct buses to Scotland's largest cities plusManchester and London in England. In addition, there is apark and ride service from the services at Broxden to the city centre.
Perth has a small airport. Although it is namedPerth Airport, it is located atNew Scone, 3.7 mi (6.0 km) north-east of the city. There are no commercial flights out of this airport, but it is used by private aircraft and for pilot training. The nearest major commercial airports areEdinburgh Airport,Glasgow Airport andAberdeen Airport.Dundee Airport, which lies 7.5 miles away, is also an option, the latter is served byLoganair.
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