Perth (Scotland)
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Perth (
locally In mathematics, a mathematical object is said to satisfy a property locally, if the property is satisfied on some limited, immediate portions of the object (e.g., on some ''sufficiently small'' or ''arbitrarily small'' neighborhoods of points). Pr ...
: ; gd, Peairt ) is a city in central Scotland, on the banks of the
River Tay The River Tay ( gd, Tatha, ; probably from the conjectured Brythonic ''Tausa'', possibly meaning 'silent one' or 'strong one' or, simply, 'flowing') is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in Great Britain. The Tay originates ...
. It is the
administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
of
Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland and S ...
council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act. ...
and the historic
county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of
Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
. It had a population of about 47,430 in 2018. There has been a settlement at Perth since
prehistoric times Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
. It is a natural mound raised slightly above the flood plain of the Tay, at a place where the river could be crossed on foot at low tide. The area surrounding the modern city is known to have been occupied ever since
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
hunter-gatherer A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...
s arrived there more than 8,000 years ago. Nearby
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
standing stones and circles date from about 4,000 BC, a period that followed the introduction of farming into the area. Close to Perth is
Scone Abbey Scone Abbey (originally Scone Priory) was a house of Augustinian canons located in Scone, Perthshire (Gowrie), Scotland. Dates given for the establishment of Scone Priory have ranged from 1114 A.D. to 1122 A.D. However, historians have long bel ...
, which formerly housed the
Stone of Scone The Stone of Scone (; gd, An Lia Fàil; sco, Stane o Scuin)—also known as the Stone of Destiny, and often referred to in England as The Coronation Stone—is an oblong block of red sandstone that has been used for centuries in the coronati ...
(also known as the Stone of Destiny), on which the
King of Scots The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the sovereign state, state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thoug ...
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 A royal burgh () was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs. Most royal burghs were either created by ...
status was given to the city by King
William the Lion William the Lion, sometimes styled William I and also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough"''Uilleam Garbh''; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Scots from 11 ...
in the early 12th century. The city became one of the richest burghs in the country, engaging in trade with France, the
Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
, and the
Baltic countries The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
, and importing goods such as Spanish silk and French wine. The
Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
had a strong impact on the city: the Houses of the Greyfriars and
Blackfriars Blackfriars, derived from Black Friars, a common name for the Dominican Order of friars, may refer to: England * Blackfriars, Bristol, a former priory in Bristol * Blackfriars, Canterbury, a former monastery in Kent * Blackfriars, Gloucester, a f ...
, two of Perth's four monastic institutions at the time of the Reformation,''Official Guide to Perth and Its Neighbourhood by the Tramway Car Routes'' – Perth Town Council (1907), p. 18 were ransacked after a sermon given by
John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...
in
St John's Kirk St John's Kirk is a church in the Scottish city of Perth, Perth and Kinross. Of Church of Scotland denomination, it is located in St John's Place, just southeast of the city centre. It stands on the former site of a church dating to 1126. Today ...
in 1559. The 1701
Act of Settlement The Act of Settlement is an Act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701. More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catholic, or who married one, bec ...
brought about Jacobite uprisings. The city was occupied by Jacobite supporters on three occasions: in 1689, 1715 and 1745. The founding of
Perth Academy Perth Academy is a state comprehensive secondary school in Perth, Scotland. It was founded in 1696. The institution is a non-denominational one. The school occupies ground on the side of a hill in the Viewlands area of Perth, and is within the Pe ...
in 1760 helped to bring major industries to the city, including the production of
linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
,
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...
,
bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
and
whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden c ...
. Perth was fortuitously placed to become a key transport centre with the coming of the railways, and its first station was built in 1848. 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. 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 presence in the banking industry. Perth has been known as ''The Fair City'' since the publication of the novel ''
Fair Maid of Perth ''The Fair Maid of Perth'' (or ''St. Valentine's Day'') is an 1828 novel by Sir Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. Inspired by the strange, but historically true, story of the Battle of the North Inch, it is set in Perth (known at the ti ...
'' by Scottish writer
Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
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 St
John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
. 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 the
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...
", a reference to its location. Perth is twinned with
Aschaffenburg Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative seat. Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric ...
, in the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
state of
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, and there are several places in the world named after Scotland's Perth, including Perth in Western Australia, Perth in Tasmania, Perth in Ontario, Canada, and
Perth Amboy Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,436. Perth Amboy has a Hispanic majority population. In the 2010 census, th ...
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
.


History

The name ''Perth'' derives from a
Pictish Pictish is the extinct language, extinct Brittonic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited num ...
word for ''wood'' or ''copse''. During much of the later medieval period, it was known colloquially by its Scots-speaking inhabitants as "St John's Toun" or "Saint Johnstoun" because the church at the centre of the parish was dedicated to St
John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
.Graham-Campbell ''Perth: The Fair City'' pp1–2 Perth was referred to as "St John's ton" up until the mid-1600s with the name "Perthia" being reserved for the wider area. At this time, "Perthia" became "Perth Shyre" and "St John's ton" became known as Perth. 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. Finds in and around Perth show that it was occupied by the
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
hunter-gatherer A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...
s who arrived in the area more than 8,000 years ago. Nearby
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
standing stones and circles followed the introduction of farming from about 4,000 BC, and a remarkably well preserved
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
log boat A dugout canoe or simply dugout is a boat made from a hollowed tree. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon. ''Monoxylon'' (''μονόξυλον'') (pl: ''monoxyla'') is Greek – ''mono-'' (single) + '' ξύλον xylon'' (t ...
dated to around 1,000 BC was found in the
mudflats Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...
of the River Tay at
Carpow Carpow () is a diffuse hamlet in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is situated immediately to the east of the confluence of the River Tay and River Earn, 2 km north east of Abernethy. Etymology The name ''Carpow'' is of Pictish origin. Th ...
to the east of Perth. Perth developed from an initial plan of two parallel streets:
High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...
and South Street, linked by several vennels leading north and south. The names of these vennels have historic origins, and many — such as Cow Vennel and Fleshers' Vennel — evoke the trades associated with their foundation. South Street was originally terminated at its eastern end by Gowrie House (site of today's
Perth Sheriff Court Perth Sheriff Court is an historic building on Tay Street in Perth, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The structure, which is used as the main courthouse for the area, is a Category A listed building. History Originally, court hearings in Perthshir ...
). Upon its demolition in the early 19th century, direct access was granted to the river.''Perth History Tour'', Jack Gillon (2020) The presence of
Scone A scone is a baked good, usually made of either wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash. The scone is a basic component of th ...
two miles (3 km) northeast, the main royal centre of the
Kingdom of Alba The Kingdom of Alba ( la, Scotia; sga, Alba) was the Kingdom of Scotland between the deaths of Donald II in 900 and of Alexander III in 1286. The latter's death led indirectly to an invasion of Scotland by Edward I of England in 1296 and the ...
from at least the reign of
Kenneth I Kenneth MacAlpin ( mga, Cináed mac Ailpin, label=Medieval Gaelic, gd, Coinneach mac Ailpein, label=Modern Scottish Gaelic; 810 – 13 February 858) or Kenneth I was King of Dál Riada (841–850), King of the Picts (843–858), and the King ...
(843–858), later the site of the major
Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...
abbey of the same name founded by
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
(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 A royal burgh () was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs. Most royal burghs were either created by ...
status was soon awarded to the city from King 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 as
Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
,
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
and
Roxburgh Roxburgh () is a civil parish and formerly a royal burgh, in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland. In the Middle Ages it had at leas ...
), residence of numerous craftsmen, organised into guilds (the Hammermen or Glovers, for example). Perth also carried out an extensive trade with France,
The Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
and the
Baltic Countries The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
with luxury goods being brought back in return, such as Spanish silk and French pottery and wine.Graham-Campbell ''Perth:The Fair City'' p8 The royal castle (on or near the site of the present
multi-storey car park A multistorey car park (British and Singapore English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistory, parking building, parking structure, parkade (mainly Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck or indoor parking, is a build ...
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.Graham-Campbell ''Perth:The Fair City'' p6 It was never rebuilt and Perth was protected at this time only by partial walls and an inventive water system,
Perth Lade Perth Lade (also known as King's Lade)Medieval Walk
– Perth & Kinross Museums & Galle ...
, sourced from the River Almond which divided and flowed to the north on one side and the west and south on the other, eventually joining the Tay. King
Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...
brought his armies to Perth in 1296, and with only a
ditch A ditch is a small to moderate divot created to channel water. A ditch can be used for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant irrigation. Ditches ar ...
for defence and little fortification, the city fell quickly.Graham-Campbell ''Perth: The Fair City'' p14 Stronger fortifications were quickly implemented by the English, and plans to wall the city took shape in 1304. They remained standing until
Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
's recapture of Perth in 1312.Graham-Campbell ''Perth: The Fair City'' pp16–17 As part of a plan to make Perth a permanent English base within Scotland,
Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
forced six monasteries in
Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
and
Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
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 (diagonally across from the main entrance to the Royal George Hotel).''Official Guide to Perth and Its Neighbourhood by the Tramway Car Routes'' – Perth Town Council (1907), p. 6 King
James I of Scotland James I (late July 139421 February 1437) was King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III and Annabella Drummond. His older brother David, Duke of Ro ...
was assassinated in Perth in 1437, by followers of
Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, Strathearn and Caithness (c. 1360 – 26 March 1437) was a Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert II of Scotland. Stewart advocated for the ransom and return to Scotland of the future king in exile, James I, in 1424. ...
, at
Blackfriars church Blackfriars is in central London, specifically the south-west corner of the City of London. Blackfriars Priory The name is first visible today in records of 1317 in many orthographies. Friar evolved from la, frater as french: frère has, mea ...
. In May 1559,
John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...
instigated the
Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
at grass-roots level with a sermon against 'idolatry' in the burgh kirk of St John the Baptist. An inflamed mob quickly destroyed the altars in the kirk, and attacked the Houses of the Greyfriars and Blackfriars, and the
Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...
Priory. Scone Abbey was sacked shortly afterwards. The regent of infant
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
, her mother
Marie de Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...
, was successful in quelling the rioting but
presbyterianism Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
in Perth remained strong. Perth played a part in the Covenanting struggle and Perth was sacked for two days by Royalist troops after the
Battle of Tippermuir The Battle of Tippermuir (also known as the Battle of Tibbermuir) (1 September 1644) was the first battle James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose, fought for King Charles I in the Scottish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. During t ...
in 1644. 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 Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
came to Perth following his victory in the Battle of Dunbar and established a fortified citadel on the
South Inch South Inch is a large public park in Perth, Scotland. About 31 hectares in size,The South Inch, ...
, one of five occupation forts built to control Scotland. The restoration of Charles II was not without incident, and with the
Act of Settlement The Act of Settlement is an Act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701. More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catholic, or who married one, bec ...
in 1701, came the Jacobite 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 Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
,
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...
,
bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
ed products and
whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden c ...
were its major exports. Given its location, Perth was perfectly placed to become a key transport centre with the coming of the
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
s. The first railway station in Perth was built in 1848. Horse-drawn carriages became popular in the 1890s; they were quickly replaced by electric
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
s of
Perth Corporation Tramways Perth Corporation Tramways operated an electric tramway service in Perth, Scotland, between 1903 and 1929. Its headquarters were at 28 High Street. History In October 1903 the horse tramways of the Perth and District Tramways were taken over ...
. Despite being a
garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
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, in Western Australia,
Sir George Murray Sir George Murray (6 February 1772 – 28 July 1846) was a British soldier and politician from Scotland. Background and education Murray was born in Perth, Scotland, the second son of Sir William Murray, of Ochtertyre, 5th Baronet (see Murra ...
wanted it to be named
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
after the place where he was born. The ship ''
Parmelia Parmelia may refer to: * Parmelia (barque), the vessel that in 1829 transported the first settlers of the British colony of Western Australia * ''Parmelia'' (fungus), a genus of lichens with global distribution * Parmelia, Western Australia Pa ...
'' sailed to Australia to found the new settlement.Civic History of Perth from Medieval Times
– Perth Civic Trust
The old Municipal Buildings were completed in 1881, although the Perth and Kinross District Council moved to the former head office of
General Accident General Accident plc was a large insurance business based in Perth, Scotland, Perth, Scotland. It merged with Commercial Union in 1998 to form CGU plc. History The Norie-Miller years The Employers' liability act of 1880 opened a new area of i ...
at No. 2 High Street in 1984. Today, Perth serves as a retail centre for the surrounding area. This includes a main shopping centre —
St John's Centre The St John's Centre is an indoor shopping centre in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The centre is surrounded by The Headrow to the south, Albion Street to the west and Merrion Street to the north. The centre makes up the central shopping ce ...
— along with a pedestrianised high street and many independent and specialist shops. The city also has "an embarrassing abundance of
public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s".''Perth: The Archaeology and Development of a Scottish burgh''
– David P. Bowler, Tayside and Fife Archaeological Committee (2004), p. 46
Main employers in the city now include
Aviva Aviva plc is a British multinational insurance company headquartered in London, England. It has about 18 million customers across its core markets of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. In the United Kingdom, Aviva is the largest general ...
,
Royal Bank of Scotland The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS; gd, Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a major retail and commercial bank in Scotland. It is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of NatWest Group, together with NatWest (in England and Wales) and Ulster Bank ...
and
Scottish and Southern Energy SSE plc (formerly Scottish and Southern Energy plc) is a multinational energy company headquartered in Perth, Scotland Perth (Scottish English, locally: ; gd, Peairt ) is a city in central Scotland, on the banks of the River Tay. It is th ...
.


Heraldry

The
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
of Perth is:
Gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). In engraving, it is sometimes depict ...
a Paschal lamb reguardant
argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
haloed or holding under its right foreleg a flagpole topped with a cross of the second, to which is attached a banner
azure Azure may refer to: Colour * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 ...
a saltire argent, all within a
tressure In heraldry, an orle is a subordinary consisting of a narrow band occupying the inward half of where a bordure would be, following the exact outline of the shield but within it, showing the field between the outer edge of the orle and the edge of ...
flory-counter-flory of the last. The shield is supported by a
double-headed eagle In heraldry and vexillology, the double-headed eagle (or double-eagle) is a charge (heraldry), charge associated with the concept of Empire. Most modern uses of the symbol are directly or indirectly associated with its use by the late Byzantin ...
or, and the motto is ''PRO REGE, LEGE ET GREGE'' (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
: For the King, the Law and the People). 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 of
John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
, 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 Bertha is a female Germanic name, from Old High German ''berhta'' meaning "bright one". It was usually a short form of Anglo Saxon names ''Beorhtgifu'' meaning "bright gift" or ''Beorhtwynn'' meaning "bright joy". The name occurs as a theonym, s ...
" near where Perth now stands. The double-headed eagle was adopted as the supporter of the arms of
Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland and S ...
when that
council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act. ...
was created in 1975.


Governance

Perth forms part of the
county constituency In the United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons. Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called "constituenc ...
of
Perth and North Perthshire Perth and North Perthshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency was created in 2005. ...
, electing one
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) to the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system.
Pete Wishart Peter Wishart (born 9 March 1962) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician and musician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Perth and North Perthshire, formerly North Tayside, since the 2001 general election. Wishart i ...
of the
Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
(SNP) is the MP for
Perth and North Perthshire Perth and North Perthshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency was created in 2005. ...
. For the purposes of the Scottish Parliament, Perth forms part of the constituencies of Perthshire North (Scottish Parliament constituency), Perthshire North and Perthshire South and Kinross-shire (Scottish Parliament constituency), Perthshire South and Kinross-shire. These two constituencies were created in 2011 as two of the nine constituencies within the Mid Scotland and Fife (Scottish Parliament electoral region), Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region. Each constituency elects one Member 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 by John Swinney (Scottish National Party, SNP) and Perthshire South and Kinross-shire is currently represented by Jim Fairlie (MSP), Jim Fairlie (Scottish National Party, SNP).


City status

The classic definition of Perth has been as a city. In the late-1990s, the UK Government and the devolved Scottish Executive re-examined the definition of a city and produced a list of approved cities, from which Perth was omitted. It was therefore considered to be a "former city", like Brechin and Elgin, Moray, Elgin. 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, the-then First Minister of Scotland, backed a campaign to confer city status on Perth, saying it should be granted "at the next commemorative opportunity". The local authority, Perth and Kinross Council, Perth and Kinross, stated that the octennial anniversary of the city in 2009 should create "a foundation for Perth to bid for formal city status". Perth was one of the 26 bidders for city status to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. On 14 March 2012, Perth's city status was successfully reinstated, along with Chelmsford and St Asaph. It became Scotland's seventh city. Elizabeth II, 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 officially open the Perth Concert Hall (Scotland), Perth Concert Hall, in 2005.


Demography

In 1891, the population of Perth was 30,768. In 1901, it was 32,872, an increase of 2,104 in ten years.''Official Guide to Perth and Its Neighbourhood by the Tramway Car Routes'' – Perth Town Council (1907), p. 24 According to the 2001 UK Census, Perth had a total population of 43,450. A more recent population estimate of the city has been recorded as 44,820 in 2008. 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%). 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. 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 the European Union, but has both higher proportions born within the European Union and those over 75 years old.


Religion

Christianity is the most common religion in the city. In Census 2011, over half of the population of the council area of
Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland and S ...
stated that they belonged to one of the Christian denominations. The most popular denomination is the Church of Scotland which is organised through the Presbytery of Perth. It has nine churches throughout the city. The largest of these is St John's Kirk, in St John's Place. The second most popular Christian denomination is the Roman Catholic Church, which has three churches in the city organised through the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld, Diocese of Dunkeld. There is also St Mary's Monastery, Kinnoull, St Mary's Monastery, at Kinnoull on the eastern edge of the city, which is home to a Redemptorist congregation. The Scottish Episcopal Church is organised through the Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and has two churches in the city (St Ninian's Cathedral, Perth, St Ninian's Cathedral and St John the Baptist Episcopalian Church, Perth, Church of St. John the Baptist). There are several other Christian churches in the city; these include the Methodism, Methodist Church, Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Elim Pentecostal Church, the Salvation Army and several smaller Protestant churches. There is also a Quaker community in the city, as well as a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Perth Islamic community meet at a mosque on Glasgow Road. 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. ;Perth's extant places of worship *
St John's Kirk St John's Kirk is a church in the Scottish city of Perth, Perth and Kinross. Of Church of Scotland denomination, it is located in St John's Place, just southeast of the city centre. It stands on the former site of a church dating to 1126. Today ...
, St John's Place (Church of Scotland) *St Matthew's Church, Perth, St Matthew's Church, Tay Street (Church of Scotland) *Kinnoull Parish Church, Dundee Road (Church of Scotland) *St Leonard's-in-the-Fields Church, Marshall Place (Church of Scotland) *Perth North Church, Mill Street (209 High Street) (Church of Scotland) *St Ninian's Cathedral, Atholl Street (Episcopal) *St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Perth, St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Melville Street (Roman Catholic) *St John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Perth, St John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Princes Street (Scottish Episcopal) *Congregational Church of Perth, Kinnoull Street (Congregational) *Knox Church, Tulloch Terrace (Free Church of Scotland) *Free Presbyterian Church, Perth, Perth Free Presbyterian Church, Pomarium Street (Church of Scotland) *Scott Street Methodist Church, Perth Methodist Church, Scott Street (Methodist) *Trinity Church of the Nazarene, York Place (Wesleyan) *St Mary's Monastery, Kinnoull, St Mary's Monastery, Hatton Road (Roman Catholic) *Perth Mosque, Glasgow Road (Islam) ;Extant former church buildings *St Leonard's Church, Perth, St Leonard's Parish Church, King Street *Perth Middle Church, Tay Street *St Andrew's Church, Perth, St Andrew's Church, Atholl Street *St Paul's Church, Perth, St Paul's Church, Old High Street (shell)


Demolished church buildings

* Free Middle Church, Blackfriars Street (built in 1843)


Geography

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): ;To the east *Kinnoull Hill – , ;To the south-southeast *Moncreiffe Hill – , ;To the south-southwest *Friarton Hill – , *St Magdalene's Hill – , *Hilton Hill – , *Mailer Hill – ,


Climate

As with most of the British Isles and Scotland, Perth has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen ''Cfb'') with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest Met Office weather station is at Strathallan. around from the centre of Perth. Perth is one of the mildest places in Scotland. Temperatures extremes since 1960 have ranged from in January 1963 to in July 1995. However, a temperature of was recorded on 14 November 1919. As well as this, the temperature reached on 28 June 2018. The coldest temperature recorded in recent years is in December 2010. However, nearby Strathallan reported in February 2021. In an average year, the warmest day rises to around , and about four days exceed .


Economy

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 in renewable 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 include NHS Tayside, SSE plc, and Perth College UHI (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands). The leading international transportation company Stagecoach Group also has its global headquarters in the city.Perth and Kinross Council, ''The Fair City of Perth – An application for City Status'', p.19. Perth was formerly headquarters of insurance firm
General Accident General Accident plc was a large insurance business based in Perth, Scotland, Perth, Scotland. It merged with Commercial Union in 1998 to form CGU plc. History The Norie-Miller years The Employers' liability act of 1880 opened a new area of i ...
; however, since General Accident merged with Norwich Union to form
Aviva Aviva plc is a British multinational insurance company headquartered in London, England. It has about 18 million customers across its core markets of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. In the United Kingdom, Aviva is the largest general ...
, the office has been primarily used as a call centre. Perth's city centre is situated to the west of the banks of the River Tay. The pedestrianised portion of the High Street, which runs from the junction of St John Street to Scott Street, is the main focus of the shopping area. The centre has a variety of major and independent retailers. The major retailers are largely based on the High Street, St John Street and the St John's Centre. Independent retailers can be found on George Street, the High Street (Perth, Scotland)#Old High Street, Old High Street and Canal Street. A £3 million pound project for the High Street and King Edward Street provided new seating, lighting and the laying of natural stone in 2010. 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. McEwens department store was in business on St John's Street for almost 150 years. It closed in March 2016. Before the credit 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. The Perth economy is ranked in the Top 10 enterprising demographics in Scotland, with an average of 42.6 registered enterprises per 10,000 residents putting it well above the Scottish average of 30.1.


Culture

Perth Museum and Art Gallery, at the eastern end of George Street, is recognised as one of the oldest provincial museums in Scotland. Another museum, known as the Fergusson Gallery, has, since 1992, been located in the Category A listed former Perth Water Works building on Tay Street. This contains the major collection of the works of the artist John Duncan Fergusson. Perth Theatre opened in 1900. 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 from Mill Street (Perth, Scotland), Mill Street in addition to the main focus of the conservation and restoration of the historic Victorian auditorium. Perth Concert Hall, which opened in 2005, was built on the site of the former Horsecross Market. Perth City Hall has been used as a venue for several high-profile concerts over the years, including Morrissey, as well as Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party conferences. The hall is currently being converted into a new heritage and arts attraction. The New wave music, new-wave band Fiction 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 Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative seat. Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric ...
in Germany, Bydgoszcz in Poland, Haikou, Hainan in China, Perth in Australia, Perth, Ontario, Perth in Canada, Pskov in Russia and Cognac, France, Cognac in France. Perth is noted for its lively nightlife, with dozens of bars and several nightclubs. Perth has hosted the Royal National Mòd, National Mòd in 1896, 1900, 1924, 1929, 1947, 1954, 1963, 1980 and 2004.List of Mod's places
for each year on Sabhal Mòr Ostaig website


Landmarks and tourism

The Category A listed
St John's Kirk St John's Kirk is a church in the Scottish city of Perth, Perth and Kinross. Of Church of Scotland denomination, it is located in St John's Place, just southeast of the city centre. It stands on the former site of a church dating to 1126. Today ...
, on St John's Place, is architecturally and historically one of the most significant buildings in Perth.Graham-Campbell pp38–39 The settlement of the original church dates back to the mid-12th century.Walker and Ritchie ''Fife, Perthshire and Angus'' p. 122. 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 fund Dunfermline Abbey. The majority of the present church was constructed between 1440 and 1500. Though much altered, its tower and lead-clad spire continue to dominate the Perth skyline. The Church has lost its medieval south porch and sacristy, and the north transept 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 the
Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
. The survival of this object is all the more remarkable as it includes a statuette of the Virgin Mary. It is thought to have been hung in the Skinner's aisle. An inventory of 1544 lists another hanging brass chandelier as an ornament of the altar of Our Lady. Another Category A listed building is the former King James VI Hospital, built in 1750 on the site of the former Perth Charterhouse, which was burned in 1559 during the Reformation. The spire of Category B listed 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. Pullar House on Mill Street was once used by J. 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. The Category B listed Fair Maid's House, in North Port, is the oldest surviving secular building in Perth.Fothergill, Hendry and Hartley, ''Walks Around Historic Perth'', p.19. Built on the foundations of previous buildings, parts of the structure date back from 1475. The building was used as the home of Catherine Glover in the novel ''The Fair Maid of Perth'', which was written by
Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
in 1828. Another bard, Robert Burns, is memorialised with a small statue in a niche above the Robert Burns Lounge Bar, at 5 County Place.''Official Guide to Perth and Its Neighbourhood by the Tramway Car Routes'' – Perth Town Council (1907), p. 11 It is the work of a local sculptor William Anderson, the son of noted painter David Anderson (artist), David 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. The nearby City Mills, built to serve
Perth Lade Perth Lade (also known as King's Lade)Medieval Walk
– Perth & Kinross Museums & Galle ...
from the River Almond, Perth and Kinross, River Almond, was once the site of industry until the early 19th century. Only the Upper and Lower City Mills survive to this day. The Category A listed Lower City Mills, which date from 1805, were used for barley and oatmeal, while the Category A listed Upper Mills of 1792 consisted of two wheat mills connected to a granary.


Conservation

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 the Scottish Government.Perth City Heritage Fund
– Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust
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. 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. Phases 1 and 2 provided just over £1 million of grant assistance for almost fifty projects.


Media

The sole newspaper based in the city is the ''Perthshire Advertiser'', owned by Trinity Mirror. The newspaper's offices are based in Watergate, but the newspaper itself is printed in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Blantyre. It outlasted both the ''Perthshire Courier'' (established in 1809) and the ''Perthshire Constitutional and Journal'' (1832). One of Britain's most successful radio stations, Hospital Radio Perth, broadcasts to Perth Royal Infirmary and Murray Royal Hospital. The Hospital Broadcasting Association have awarded Hospital Radio Perth the title of "British Station of the Year" in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2007.


Sport and recreation

St Johnstone F.C., St Johnstone is the city's professional football (soccer), football club. The team play in the Scottish Premiership at their home ground, McDiarmid Park, in the Tulloch, Perth and Kinross, Tulloch area of the city. They won the Scottish Cup for the first time in 2014, after 130 years without a major trophy. There are also two East of Scotland Football League, East of Scotland League clubs based in Perth – Jeanfield Swifts F.C., Jeanfield Swifts and Kinnoull F.C., Kinnoull. The senior rugby union, rugby team, Perthshire RFC, play their games on the North Inch in Scottish National League Division Three. Between 1995 and 1998, professional side Caledonia Reds played some of their home matches at McDiarmid Park before they merged with Glasgow Warriors. On the western edge of the North Inch is Bell's Sports Centre. Prior to the building of the Greenwich Dome, it was the largest domed building in Britain."The History of Bells Sports Centre"
– Small City, Big Personality
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), which used to sit just off the Dunkeld Road. Adjacent to Perth Leisure Pool is the Dewar's Centre, which includes an eight-lane ice rink. It has long been a main centre of curling 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 indoor bowls, bowling hall, hosting major competitions. Historically, Perth had a successful ice 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 at Dundee 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. The distillery was one of the city's largest employers. 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 local cadets. The Scottish Volleyball Association's annual general meeting is also held at the same time as the tournament.


Parks and gardens


Inches

Perth is also home to two main parks, namely the North Inch and South Inch (the word "Inch" being an anglicisation of the Gaelic ''innis'' meaning island or meadow). The Inches were given to the city in 1377 by Robert III of Scotland, King 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 by Rose Terrace (Perth, Scotland), Rose Terrace, named for Thomas Hay Marshall#Personal life, Rose Anderson, the wife of Thomas Hay Marshall, whose house was on the Atholl Street corner.''Perth: The Postcard Collection'', Jack Gillon (2020) 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. Situated 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.


Gardens

*Branklyn Garden *Cherrybank Gardens (closed) *Rodney Gardens


Education

There are many primary schools in Perth, while secondary education includes
Perth Academy Perth Academy is a state comprehensive secondary school in Perth, Scotland. It was founded in 1696. The institution is a non-denominational one. The school occupies ground on the side of a hill in the Viewlands area of Perth, and is within the Pe ...
, Perth Grammar School, Perth High School, St John's Academy and Bertha Park High School. Further and higher education, including a range of degrees, is available through Perth College UHI, one of the largest partners in the University of the Highlands and Islands. It ran a network of learning centres across the area, in Blairgowrie and Rattray, Blairgowrie, Crieff, Kinross and Pathways in Perth, although these closed in 2019. In 2000, an interdisciplinary ''Centre for Mountain Studies'' was established at the college. It also owns AST (Air Service Training) which delivers a range of aircraft engineering courses.


Judicial system

Perth's Perth Sheriff Court, Sheriff Court, on Tay Street, is a Category A listed building. The building was designed by London architect Sir Robert Smirke (architect), Robert Smirke, built in 1819 and stands on the site of Gowrie House, the place where a plot to kill King James VI was hatched in 1600. Perth is also home to a large prison, HM Prison Perth.


Transport

Perth remains a key transport hub for journeys by road and rail throughout Scotland. The M90 motorway, the northernmost motorway in Great Britain, runs south from the city to Edinburgh; the A9 road (Great Britain), A9 road connects it to Stirling and Glasgow in the south west and Inverness in the north. Other major roads serving the city include the A85 road (Great Britain), A85 to Crieff and Crianlarich (and ultimately Oban), the A93 road (Great Britain), A93 to Blairgowrie and Rattray, Blairgowrie and Braemar, the A94 road (Great Britain), A94 to Coupar Angus and Forfar and the A90 road (Great Britain), A90 to Dundee and Aberdeen.Graham-Campbell ''Perth: The Fair City'' 1994, p. 139. The city itself was bypass route, bypassed 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 at Broxden Junction, one of the busiest and most important road junctions in Scotland. Uniquely, all seven of Scotland's cities are signposted from here: Glasgow and Stirling 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 the Friarton Bridge in 1978 to facilitate travel to Dundee and Aberdeen to the east of the city, finally removing inter-city traffic from the centre. 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 is Smeaton'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). A former tollbooth building, on the southern side of the bridge at the Bridgend, Perth and Kinross, Bridgend end of the bridge, is a category C listed building dating from around 1800. It was J. S. Lees Fish & Poultry Shop later in its life. Next, some downstream, is Queen's Bridge, Perth, Queen'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 by Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II in October of that year. The third bridge in the centre of Perth is the Tay Viaduct, a single-track railway bridge carrying trains to and from the railway station, to the north-west. It was completed in 1863. A pedestrian walkway lies on its northern side. 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. Perth railway station, Scotland, Perth railway station has regular services to
Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
and Edinburgh Waverley railway station, Edinburgh Waverley via the Forth Bridge, east to Dundee and Aberdeen, south to Stirling railway station (Scotland), Stirling and Glasgow Queen Street railway station, Glasgow Queen Street, and north to Inverness railway station, Inverness; however, as a result of the Beeching Axe, the main line to Aberdeen through Strathmore, Angus, Strathmore 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 via Glenfarg, Dunfermline and the Forth 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. There are two direct trains per day to London — the ''Highland Chieftain'', operated by London North Eastern Railway to London King's Cross railway station, King's Cross (from Inverness), while the ''Caledonian Sleeper'' runs overnight to Euston railway station, Euston. 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 the Dundee 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. Muirton railway station's existence, on the Scottish Midland Junction Railway, was relatively brief, from 1936 to 1959. Local buses are run by Stagecoach East Scotland. Inter-city bus travel is made from Perth bus station, Leonard Street bus station and connects to most major destinations in Scotland. The budget Megabus (United Kingdom), Megabus service is centred on Broxden Junction, outside the city centre, and runs direct buses to Scotland's largest cities plus Manchester and London in England. In addition, there is a park and ride service from the services at Broxden to the city centre. Perth has a small airport. Although it is named Perth Airport (Scotland), Perth Airport, it is located at Scone, Perthshire, New Scone, 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 are Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport and Aberdeen Airport.


Notable people

;1200s *William of Perth (12th century), Scottish saint who was martyred in England, was born and lived in Perth ;1500s *John Row (reformer), John Row (c. 1526–1580), Papal nuncio turned reformer. One of the "six Johns" of the early Scottish reformation ;1600s *William Wilson (Secession minister), William Wilson (1690–1741), minister, one of the founders of the Secession Church ;1700s *George Murray (British Army officer), Sir George Murray (1772–1846), MP for Perthshire 1824–1832 and 1834–1835, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1828–1830 and Master-General of the Ordnance 1834–1835 and 1841–1846. Murray House, Hong Kong and the Murray River, Australia were named after him and the city of Perth, Western Australia, after his birthplace *Robert Crown, (1753–1841) navy officer, later Admiral of the Imperial Russian navy ;1800s *David Octavius Hill, (1802–1870) FRSA, painter and photographic pioneer *James Duncan (surgeon), Dr James Duncan FRSE (1810–1866) surgeon, manufacturing chemist, Director of Duncan Flockhart & Co *Archibald Sandeman (1823–1893), scholar *James Craig (VC), James Craig, (1824–1861) recipient of the Victoria Cross *Effie Gray, (1828-1897) artists' model, wife of Pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais *Aylmer Cameron, (1833–1909) recipient of the Victoria Cross *William Vousden (1848–1902), recipient of the Victoria Cross *Sir Francis Norie-Miller (1859–1947), Insurance Director and Politician *Alexander Souter (1873–1949), biblical scholar *John Buchan (1875–1940), Governor General of Canada, ''The Thirty-Nine Steps'' *William Soutar (1898–1943), poet and diarist, who wrote in both English and Braid Scots ;1900s *Janet Smith case, Janet Smith (1902–1924), murder victim *W. H. Findlay, photographer; took over 25,000 images of Perth over fifty years *Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie, Baron Cameron of Balhousie (1920–1985), Marshal of the Royal Air Force *Desmond Carrington (1926–2017), BBC Radio 2 DJ *George Mathewson, Sir George Mathewson (b. 1940), educated at Perth Academy *Richard Simpson (Scottish politician), Richard Simpson (b. 1942) was educated at Perth Academy *Ann Gloag (b. 1942) and Brian Souter (b. 1954), co-founders Stagecoach Group *Fred MacAulay (b. 1956), comedian *John Morgan (etiquette expert), John Morgan (1959–2000), etiquette expert and contributor to Debrett's and ''The Times'' newspaper *Gillian McKeith (b. 1959), nutritionist and television personality *Andrew Fairlie (chef), (1963–2019), Scottish Chef known for Restaurant Andrew Fairlie *Ewan McGregor (b. 1971), actor *Christopher Bowes, musician and founding member of Folk Metal band Alestorm *Disappearance of Corrie McKeague, Corrie McKeague, Royal Air Force Regiment gunner who disappeared from Bury St Edmunds town centre on a night out in September 2016 ;Sport *Joseph Anderson (cricketer), Joseph Anderson, cricketer *Frank Christie, Liverpool football player and East Fife football player and manager *Bobby Moncur, Scotland and Newcastle United captain *David Wotherspoon (footballer, born 1990), David Wotherspoon, football player for St Johnstone *Elena Baltacha, tennis player *Sergei Baltacha Jr., football player, brother of Elena Baltacha, attended Perth High School *Alan Fraser (cricketer), Alan Fraser, cricketer, brother of the below *William Lovat Fraser, cricketer and rugby union player, brother of the above *Peter Gardiner (sportsman), Peter Gardiner, cricketer and footballer *Stevie May, professional football player *Scott Donaldson, professional snooker player *Eilidh Doyle, Olympic athlete *Lisa Evans, professional football player *Mike Kerrigan (cricketer), Mike Kerrigan, first-class cricketer *Eve Muirhead, curler, Olympic gold medallist *Mili Smith, curler, Olympic gold medallist


Freedom of the City

The following people, military units, organisations, and groups have received the Freedom of the City of Perth. ;Individuals *John Buchan: 29 September 1933 *Francis Norie-Miller, Sir Francis Norie-Miller: 29 September 1933 *George VI, Duke of York: 10 August 1935 *Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Duchess of York: 10 August 1935 *William Mackenzie, 1st Baron Amulree, Sir William Mackenzie: 18 March 1938 *Arthur Kinmond Bell: 18 March 1938 *Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, FM Lord Wavell: 19 July 1947 *Winston Churchill, Sir Winston Churchill: 19 July 1947 *Anthony Eden, Sir Anthony Eden: 12 May 1956 *Norie-Miller baronets, Sir Stanley Norie-Miller: 14 September 1961 *Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie, MRAF Sir Neil Cameron: 26 August 1978 *David Kinnear Thomson: 30 October 1982 *Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Edinburgh: 6 July 2012 *Melville Jameson, Brig Sir Melville Jameson: 18 June 2019 ;Military units *The Black Watch, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment): 19 July 1947 *The Royal British Legion (Scotland): 8 May 2004 *51st Highland Volunteers The Royal Regiment of Scotland: 8 May 2010 ;Organisations and groups *St Johnstone F.C., St Johnstone Football Club: 23 June 2021


References


External links


Perth City official website
– ''Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland'', Francis Hindes Groome (1901)
The Postcard Collection''
– Jack Gillon (2020)
''Perth, the Ancient Capital of Scotland: The Story of Perth from the Invasion of Agricola to the Passing of the Reform Bill in 2 volumes'' by Samuel Cowan J.P. (1904)''Perth: The Archaeology and Development of a Scottish Burgh''
– David P. Bowler, Tayside and Fife Archaeological Committee, Perth, 2004 {{Authority control Perth, Scotland, Perth Large burghs Cities in Scotland Port cities and towns of the North Sea Port cities and towns in Scotland Ports and harbours of Scotland Royal burghs County towns in Scotland