Romance in Perth: From City to Castle

There’s a huge appeal in visiting a building or attraction in Scotland which claims to be ‘the oldest’ or ‘the first’ in the country. It’s a pretty impressive accolade if you ask me, given our national history stretches back as far as your average imagination can contemplate. 

When I arrived at The Salutation Hotel in Perth for a short break with my Gran five years ago, I could see that it was an old hotel. Whilst rude to remark on a lady’s age and personal appearance, I can’t deny that ‘The Sally’ - as she is affectionately known by the locals - was visibly wearing the signs of her long life. The bedrooms donned dated decor and creaky floorboards, whilst the iconic facade was crumbling and off-colour. 

 It was only on my recent return to the hotel, that I discovered it was indeed the oldest hotel in Scotland. My inner history geek did a happy dance at this revelation, curious about the many characters that had graced its rooms in all the years from 1699 to present day. The Beatles autographs and David Bowie concert posters in the hotel lobby mark the time that they spent there, whilst going way further back through the mists of time, the ‘Stuart Room’ has a rather significant claim to Scottish history fame.

Bonnie Prince Charlie famously stayed in this room in the weeks after this arrival in Scotland. From here he is said to have plotted the 1745 rebellion which ended tragically at the Battle of Culloden in April the following year. If only the walls could whisper and reveal the secrets of the past. His room was still used as a guest room until recent years when it was changed to a meeting room. Thankfully the future of our country and Highland culture won’t depend on the discussions in there now! 

Aside from my new-found knowledge of the hotel’s past, I was delighted to see that it had been both modernised and restored to its former glory. The exterior facelift and renovated bedrooms and bathrooms have transformed The Salutation from the hotel that ‘once was’ to a hotel that deserves to be noticed once again. 

 Checking into our bedroom, we were met with fresh decor, huge plump pillows which swallow your head, and a bed so wide I could almost pretend my snoring other half wasn’t in it! The bathroom was pearly white and contemporary, with a shower I didn’t want to get out of. In terms of comfort, style and location, The Salutation was shaping up to be a perfect base for a romantic weekend of castle-hunting around Perth. 

Our first adventure of the weekend was that of the culinary kind, and took us a mere thirty seconds around the corner for our hotel. It was Friday night and I had one thing on my mind… pizza! Duo Restaurant had been on my ‘must scran’ list since Nicki took me for coffee and macaroons there last year. A narrow and unassuming archway led us inside to a view of a wood fired. I knew we were on to winner. 

My pizza was a Mediterranean masterpiece on a delicious dough loaded with toppings; tomato, mozzarella, chicken, spicy chorizo, peppers, sun blushed tomatoes, San Daniele prosciutto. I may have also helped my other half finish off his monster calzone, only because I’m such a caring girlfriend. That ought to have sufficiently stretched my stomach for the hotel breakfast the next morning.

 All good castle hunters need a decent breakfast to fuel their exploration. If I planned to walk to both Huntingtower Castle and Elcho Castle from Perth over the weekend, it was important that I took full advantage of the breakfast buffet, served until a generous 10am in our hotel. All essential items of the full Scottish variety were on offer, and are proudly purchased locally. Healthier options such as fruit, yoghurt, nuts, maple syrup, cereals and fruit juices were also on offer. I had a bit of both, since fruit obviously cancels out sausages in my made up rules of food mathematics. Time for our first castle. 

“Follow the 77 cycle path to Dunkeld” were instructions simple enough for even me to follow. We meandered out of town and under the old bridge, through the sunlit North Inch and along the riverside. We passed dog walkers, ducks in flight, and keen fisherman waist high in the Tay. I commented to my sidekick on how lucky Perth is; gifted with all the recreational and essential perks of being a city, along with a crackin’ river, a number of green spaces, and all of Perthshire’s scenic gems and cutesy towns just on the doorstep. 

Over an hour into our peaceful doddle, we arrived at the Historic Scotland property where we met our guide Rosalind; an avid storyteller with a degree in History. The tale of Huntingtower Castle, she told us, begins with two towers. For no apparent or logical reason, two towers were erected side-by-side in the 15th and 16th century. This was the beginnings of what would become a thriving family residence, a place for the Ruthvens and then the Murrays to call ‘home sweet home’. 

Much more than simply a standard centuries-old suburbia, Huntingtower has seen no shortage of the drama and debauchery for which Scottish history is famed. The Murrays had conflicting allegiances during the Jacobite rebellions, and the Ruthvens were commonly associated with black magic; a rumour which is supported by a painting of a hare (commonly associated with black magic and witchcraft) in the castle’s first floor hall.

The castle is also where King James VI is said to have been conceived, during Mary, Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley’s honeymoon there in 1565. Interestingly the castle is also were James was held captive for ten months in 1582 in what became known as the ‘Ruthven Raid’ - a political conspiracy to gain power and reform the government, led by William Ruthven.

To add to its ‘cool castle’ attributes, Huntingtower also has the oldest painted ceiling in Scotland - which is remarkably well preserved - and since being handed to the state in 1912 has only been lived in by a rare species of bat. Walking round the perimeter of the roof, I looked down and imagined the courtyard and gardens from the past, and gave a grateful nod to the lack of rain clouds in the sky. 

Before retracing our steps back along the river, we made a pit-stop at the nearby Glover Arms for a pint and satisfying lunch. I recommend the prawn, crayfish and avocado salad, which was enough to fill me up until our dinner at local eatery 63 Tay Street, without weighing me down. Back in Perth, we relaxed in the hotel until our dinner reservation. Once again, we were just a short walk from the hotel; the beauty of a city where you can walk everywhere. 

63 Tay Street is the lovechild of Graham Pallister, a super-talented Perthshire born Chef, whose pre-Tay Street career saw him grace the kitchen of Gleneagles and become a MasterChef of Britain, as well as scooping the ‘Chef of the Year’ award at the Catering in Scotland Awards in 2013. Since 2007 he has welcomed diners into the restaurant’s smart interior to sample his culinary creations. We were booked in for a ‘Steak Saturday Menu’ for two.

The Dunkeld smoked salmon with lemon crème fresh was a simple and light prelude to the meaty main. The steak was an Aberdeen Angus ribeye, doused in a creamy béarnaise sauce and served alongside chunky hand-cut chips. Ever the ‘classy lassie’, my steak was washed down with one of my favourite beers – Innis and Gunn – however, more sophisticated palates would particularly appreciate the extensive wine list sourced from specialist wine merchants. Our relaxed and satisfying dining experience was concluded with a welcome dose of sweetness in the shape of crème brûlée. Mmmm. I wondered whether our ten mile walk that day would’ve burned enough calories to cover our three courser, then I remembered that I didn’t care. We’d be walking the same distance the following day.

Although not connected by a designated walking path, Elcho Castle is accessible on foot from Perth city centre, albeit on a long-way-for-a-shortcut kinda route. The day had been gifted with sunshine so we contently dawdled out of the city, through the village of Rhynd, and down towards the castle. I was instantly struck by the beauty of the castle’s setting; an orchard on one side, the river on another, and rows of daffodils in between. Now for a look inside…

While Elcho Castle has seen less reality TV-style drama than Huntingtower Castle throughout its days, the intact 16^th century structure and setting of the castle more than makes up for its lack of history. With multiple spiral staircases, cubby holes, and a battlement, it would make for the ultimate game of hide and seek. It also has a comical number of toilets for such an old property, with nearly all of the rooms being en-suite. I challenge you to find and count them all. Apparently we were way off!

Rather than retrace our steps back to the city, we set off along the river, on what is definitely not a path. Throw in a field or two, and an industrial yard, we came back into the city at Perth harbour and made our way back into town with rumbling tums. We enjoyed a fantastic club sandwich for lunch, eaten al fresco at Howie’s Bistro, before grabbing a “carry oot” for the train home.

A box of macaroons from Duo, that is.

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The Salutation Hotel Website|Facebook|Twitter

Huntingtower & Elcho Castle are owned by Historic Scotland  Website|Facebook|Twitter

63 Tay Street Website|Facebook|Twitter