There is so much for families to see and do in east Perthshire and the surrounding area that visiting Cateran country really is a great way to make memories that will last a lifetime.
We have castles galore for fans of horrible history, nature tours for wildlife lovers and skiing, wild swimming, paddleboarding, archery and bike parks and trails for active kids.
Check out Blairgowrie-based Outdoor Explore’s range of guided kayaking tours and experiences, and Cally Gordon’s Active Breaks for multi-sports options and ski hire and instruction.
Highland Perthshire-based Nae Limits is less than an hour’s drive away from Blairgowrie and offers water-based activities such as whitewater rafting, canyoning, river tubing and cliff jumping as well as land-based activities including clay pigeon shooting, quad biking, while Gulabin Lodge Outdoor Centre at Glenshee offers rock climbing, abseiling, archery, air rifle shooting, tree climbing and a high ropes challenge that isn’t for the faint-hearted!
Nearby there is the V&A design museum in Dundee – the City of Discovery which is also home to the ship of the same name that took explorers Scott and Shackleton to Antartica at the turn of the last century. And Dundee is of course also home to kids’ favourites Dennis the Menace and the Bash Street Kids.
Over in neighbouring Dunkeld and Birnam there is the Beatrix Potter Exhibition at the Birnam Arts Centre, and the salmon ladder at Pitlochry Dam is also well worth a visit during your stay in east Perthshire. The Enchanted Forest in Faskally is an autumn must-see – a trail-blazing sound and light show that uses the forest as a natural backdrop.
You can have a go at driving off-road under the supervision of the world-class instructors at Land Rover Experience Scotland, just a few miles up the road from Blairgowrie, or if driving a tank is more your thing then head to Tank Driving Scotland just outside Dundee where you try driving tanks, paint-balling or archery. For fans of driving fast, there is an indoor karting centre at Camperdown on the outskirts of Dundee where you might even discover the next Lewis Hamilton.
Camperdown is also home to Dundee’s ice hockey team and you can try ice-skating at the Dundee Ice Arena, or at Dewar’s in Perth where Olympic medal-winning curler Eve Muirhead has trained.
Animal lovers will enjoy Camperdown Wildlife Centre on the Blairgowrie side of Dundee, while Scone Palace near Perth – the crowning place of Scottish kings – has a maze that could provide hours of entertainment as well extensive gardens and its very own family of peacocks who roam the grounds.
And on the outskirts of Blairgowrie is Bowland Trails, home of a large family of world and European champion Siberian Huskies who love nothing more than taking passengers on the ride of a lifetime through a network of trails through the forest and across the rolling countryside.
Nearby Stanley is home to Active Kids Adventure Park which has a range of attractions including trampolines, a wooden fort, farm animals, a soft play area and go karts, as well as Historic Environment Scotland’s Stanley Mills where you can find out all about working in the cotton mills.
If arts and crafts are your thing then check out the workshop programme at Nest Creative Spaces in Blairgowrie. And did we mention that little ones can try making chocolate too? Award-winning chocolatier Taystful runs a number of workshops for chocolate lovers of all ages – keep an eye on our events page for upcoming dates.