What’s Opening for April in Perthshire?
April marks the beginning of tourism season in Perthshire — and for all of us that means some wonderful locations that have been closed over the winter are now available to be visited and enjoyed once more. Let’s remind ourselves of just a few of them:
Lochleven Castle
From 1 April, you can take a boat over to explore this historic castle on Loch Leven, Kinross, most famous for being where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned and escaped. It was also visited by Robert the Bruce. It’\s recommended that you book tickets in advance to ensure your seat in the boat.
Before or after travelling across to the island on which the castle stands, there’s the opportunity to explore the Loch Leven Nature Reserve, and see some more of the historical sites along the Heritage Trail. There’s also a children’s play park and picnic benches.
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/lochleven-castle/
Branklyn Garden
We first visited this gorgeous garden last year and fell in love with it. Closed for winter, it reopened on 29 March — including the charming tearoom. Although early in the year, there’s so much to enjoy in this garden, which meanders its way in a big loop via lots of little pathways. The waterfall at the near end of the garden is particularly delightful.
If you go in April you should know that you must also visit again in May or early June to see the Himalayan blue poppies, or meconopsis, for which the garden hosts the National Collection.
https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/branklyn-garden#
Stanley Mills
I must confess that we are yet to visit Stanley Mills — but it’s on our list! Dating back to the 1780s, the mills are said to be among the best preserved buildings of the Industrial Revolution. Explore the factory and learn about the people who worked in them from 1 April.
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/stanley-mills/
Perth Art Gallery
Perth Art Gallery’s new exhibition, Glass, opens on 4 April and will bring together traditional and contemporary examples of glass art from Perthshire and the wider world. There will also be a series of event and talks running throughout the exhibition.
Discounted combi tickets can be bought to visit both Glass and the new Macbeth exhibition at Perth Museum, which opens on 25 April.
Blair Castle Gardens
There’s loads to see and do in the grounds of Blair Castle. Of course, everyone (including us) loves the walled Hercules Garden, but our personal favourite is Diana’s Grove, with its collection of truly magnificent firs. Nearby is also the chapel where Bonnie Dundee was buried after the battle of Killiecrankie, which makes for a fascinating visit, and there’s red deer, a play park, tearoom and gift shop, and sculpture trail.
Both the gardens and the castle itself reopen to visitors on 1 April.
https://atholl-estates.co.uk/blair-castle/visitor-information/
