Best Places to Visit Near Perth
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit near Perth are Ballinbreich Castle, Glen Vale Waterfalls, Black Linn Falls, Falls of the Braan, Pinecone View Point, Melville Monument, Wemyss Caves and Sheriffmuir Paradise Pools.
Perth sits on the River Tay at the gateway to the Highlands, with Fife, the Lomond Hills and the wooded glens of Perthshire all within easy reach. This roundup gathers eight varied days out, spread in every direction from the city.
To the east, across the Firth of Tay in Fife, the gaunt ruin of Ballinbreich Castle broods above the water, while further south the quiet cleft of Glen Vale hides a small waterfall in the Lomond Hills. North toward Dunkeld, the wooded Hermitage holds Black Linn Falls and the Falls of the Braan, with the carved Pinecone View Point looking out over the Tay valley nearby.
Further afield lie a trio of day trips: the hilltop Melville Monument above Comrie to the west, the Pictish carvings of the Wemyss Caves on the Fife coast, and the tucked-away Sheriffmuir Paradise Pools near Dunblane for a wild dip. Castles, cascades, viewpoints and swimming spots all feature here.
Here are eight places to visit near Perth.
Ballinbreich Castle
Photo: William Starkey via Geograph.org.uk
Ballinbreich Castle A short drive east of Perth, this large ruin stands on the south shore of the Firth of Tay, a little way past Newburgh in Fife. What remains is a rambling shell of towers and courtyard ranges, heavily draped in trees and ivy and left broken and unstable.
It was a stronghold of the Leslie family, the Earls of Rothes, begun in the fourteenth century and much rebuilt in the sixteenth, and you can still trace a first-floor chapel among the stones. Set on private farmland above the fields, it looks north across the wide tidal Tay to the Perthshire hills, a gaunt outline against the water.
Glen Vale Waterfalls
Photo: James Allan via Geograph.org.uk
Glen Vale Waterfalls Tucked into the Lomond Hills of Fife, Glen Vale is a quiet valley where a burn slips over rock in a small waterfall near the head of the glen. It is a modest spot rather than a set of great falls, and the reward is as much the walk and the setting as the water itself.
Above the burn rises John Knox's Pulpit, an eroded sandstone overhang that forms a natural amphitheatre, once used by Covenanters for their outlawed open-air worship. A path threads through open hill country to reach it, making this an out-of-the-way ramble for anyone happy to leave the crowds behind.
Black Linn Falls
Photo: Mike Pennington via Geograph.org.uk
Black Linn Falls In the woods of the Hermitage near Dunkeld, the River Braan gathers and then crashes over a rock lip into a deep, churning pool, framed by tall trees and spanned by an old arched bridge. The best view is from Ossian's Hall, a little stone folly perched right above the falls, built for the Dukes of Atholl in the eighteenth century and lined inside with mirrors that throw back the tumbling water.
Each autumn, salmon leap the falls as they head upstream to spawn. A short walk from the car park leads through a designed landscape of glades that shelters some of the tallest Douglas firs in Britain.
Falls of the Braan
Photo: Gwen and James Anderson via Geograph.org.uk
Falls of the Braan Just along the same stretch of the Hermitage, the Falls of the Braan see the river drop into a run of deep pools among the trees. They share their setting with Ossian's Hall, the folly raised for the Dukes of Atholl in the 1750s, whose windows and mirrors were arranged to catch first-time visitors off guard with the sudden roar and rush of the water.
Salmon leap here too in autumn, and the woods around hold some of the tallest Douglas firs in the country. The site is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, so paths and access are well kept.
Pinecone View Point
Photo: Karl Peet via Geograph.org.uk
Pinecone View Point West of Dunkeld in Craigvinean Forest, this hillside stop is built around a large hand-carved wooden sculpture shaped like a pine cone. Benches ringing it look out across the Tay valley toward Dunkeld and the hills beyond, and the surrounding wood, one of the oldest managed forests in Scotland, is home to red squirrels and roe deer.
It was created in 2013 as part of a scheme celebrating the big trees of the area. An accessible path of about three-quarters of a mile runs to it from the car park, gentle enough for wheelchairs and mobility scooters, making this an easy outing for most visitors.
Melville Monument
Photo: Richard Webb via Geograph.org.uk
Melville Monument This one is a drive west to Comrie. A tall stone obelisk crowns the wooded summit of Dun More, the hill rising straight above the village.
It was raised in 1812 in honour of Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville, a powerful Scottish politician of his day whose part in delaying the abolition of slavery makes him a contested figure now. Waymarked woodland paths climb to it, often combined with the walk to the nearby Deil's Cauldron gorge, with a short but steep final pull to the top.
From the summit a view indicator picks out the Ochil Hills, a glimpse of Loch Earn and the peaks of Ben Vorlich and Stuc a' Chroin.
Wemyss Caves
Photo: Mat Fascione via Geograph.org.uk
Wemyss Caves Another day trip, this time to the Fife coast at East Wemyss, where a group of sandstone sea caves runs along the shore. Together they hold the largest collection of Pictish carvings found in any cave setting anywhere.
Named openings such as Court Cave and Jonathan's Cave carry symbols cut into the rock, thought to date from around the sixth to ninth centuries, alongside later markings from many hands. A local volunteer society looks after the site, keeps a small museum and offers guided tours.
The carvings are fragile and open to erosion and old damage, so their condition shifts over time, but it is a rare and atmospheric place.
Sheriffmuir Paradise Pools
Photo: Euan Nelson via Geograph.org.uk
Sheriffmuir Paradise Pools For a wild dip, drive out to the moorland of Sheriffmuir near Dunblane, in the Stirling area. Here the Wharry Burn runs through a short, tree-shaded gorge, dropping over rapids into a string of pools used for swimming and paddling.
The cleft is dark and wooded, tucked away on the open moor. A walk of about a mile from a parking spot on the Sheriffmuir road leads through a gate and along a grassy track to the gorge, where a scramble down brings you to the water.
It is a quiet, out-of-the-way place with no facilities, so come prepared and take your litter home.
FAQs
What is the best waterfall to visit near Perth?
The Hermitage near Dunkeld is the obvious choice, with Black Linn Falls and the Falls of the Braan both crashing into deep pools within a short woodland walk. For something quieter, Glen Vale in Fife hides a small waterfall in the Lomond Hills.
Can you go wild swimming near Perth?
Yes. The Paradise Pools on Sheriffmuir, near Dunblane, offer pools and rapids on the Wharry Burn, though it is a moorland spot with no facilities, so it suits confident swimmers who come prepared.
Are any of these places good for families?
Pinecone View Point west of Dunkeld has an accessible path of about three-quarters of a mile, gentle enough for wheelchairs and mobility scooters, making it one of the easier outings near Perth.
Conclusion
From gaunt ruins to hidden cascades, the country around Perth rewards anyone willing to wander a little. Close at hand you can cross into Fife for Ballinbreich Castle and the quiet falls of Glen Vale, or head north to the Hermitage near Dunkeld, where Black Linn Falls, the Falls of the Braan and the carved Pinecone View Point sit within easy reach of one another.
Give a day to the longer runs and you can climb to the Melville Monument above Comrie, trace the Pictish carvings at the Wemyss Caves on the Fife coast, or slip into the Paradise Pools out on Sheriffmuir. Castles, waterfalls, viewpoints and wild swimming all lie within a short journey, and whatever the season, these are the places to visit near Perth.
