Things to do in Crieff

Crieff is a lovely town boasting a wealth of activities to attract visitors.  Its location on the edge of the Highlands makes it an ideal centre for a Scottish holiday. Perth and Stirling are within 20 minutes, Edinburgh and Glasgow are within 1 hour.

Crieff Hydro is just a ten minute walk from the accommodation and non residents are welcome to hire their tennis and squash courts, horseriding facilities, or to sit in the bars and restaurants and enjoy the stunning views.

For Golfers there are two 18 hole courses in Crieff and one 9 hole course. Nearby Muthill, Comrie and St. Fillans have 9 hole courses and Gleneagles is just 11 miles away boasting three championship courses.

The surrounding countryside offers a large selection of activities, including hill walking, climbing, white water rafting, fishing and watersports at Loch Earn.

Local shops, restaurants and attractions

• There's an interesting site with a list of Shops on the High Street.  I've added a page with some photos from Crieff High Street taken in October 2007, there are quite a few interesting shops.
• There are a lot of good restaurants, cafes and pubs in Crieff, and there is a great delicatessen on the High Street.  The Gallery Restaurant just off the High Street on Hill Street is also worth a visit (only open in the evening.)
• There is a very good restaurant, Delivino's, at 6 King's Street just a minutes walk from the flat, serving pizza, tapas, pasta, cakes and meringues in a very pleasant atmosphere. It's been a favourite with our guests.
• The Bank Restaurant on the High Street has been replaced by Paparazzi's diner, serving pizza, panini and pancakes.
• Barley Bree is a French-style restaurant with some very good reviews a few miles away in the town of Muthill (pronounced "Mewthill"). Booking essential. I've not tried it myself yet.
• If you are just looking for a snack in Muthill, Star Coffee & Gifts on the main street is worth a visit.
• There's a very good baker's just a few yards away at 59 King Street, you may be able to smell the baking.  In winter, the stovies are well recommended particularly on a cold day (weekdays only.)  Campbell's bakery has been running in Crieff since 1929.
• Crieff Hydro is a large hotel, dating from Victorian times, with a lot of activities available to non-residents, and a very popular location for weddings.  If you are coming to Crieff for a wedding, the flat is an ideal location, just 10 minutes walk away.
• Crieff Vistor Centre, opposite to the Caithness Glass Visitors Centre, is worth a visit.  You'll probably see the painted cow at the front on the way into Crieff.
• The Famous Grouse Experience at Glenturret Distillery is apparently the oldest (legal) distillery in Scotland, although the title is hotly contested.  There is, of course, a visitor centre, guided tour, shop, restaurant, bar and cafe, but they can also organise cooking classes or a day long whisky class. The distillery, known as The Hosh, is about half a mile to the North of Crieff. 
• The Ceramic Experience is just outside Crieff on the road to Muthill.  A nice way for the family to spend a rainy day.  You could also visit Crieff Ceramics on Lodge Street in the centre of town.
• About 30 minutes away, The Maize Maze is just next to Blair Drummond Safari Park, and is a great day out in late summer once the maize has grown.  There are a few good activities for the children once you've found the way out, including bouncy pillows and pedal cars.
• There is no cinema in Crieff, the closest is about 30 minutes away, either Perth Playhouse or the Vue Cinema in Stirling.
• There are many artists in Perthshire, and from 5th to 13th September 2009, you can visit many of their studios, see Perthshire Open Studios for more details.
• Strathearn Music Society organise some concerts in Crieff, here's the Concert program for 2009/10
• The best independent bookshop in Scotland (according to The Scotsman) is the Watermill in Aberfeldy, they have regular events for adults and children, see their website for details.
• And most importantly :-)  Gordon and Durward make Scottish sweets on the High Street, you can see them make the sweets, including sugar mice,  in the shop.

Crieff Highland Games

• A Highland Gathering takes place in Crieff each year, in 2009 it was on Sunday 16th August. The day includes Highland Dancing, track and field, traditional Scottish heavyweight events such as the caber, and pipe bands and displays. The event has taken place on Market Park since 1880, just a few hundred yards from Commissioner Street. However, a new supermarket may be built on the site instead, in which case the Gathering would move to a new sports facility further out of town.

Parks and outdoor activities


• Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre is about 8 miles away, on the other side of Comrie, and is very popular with our visitors. They have a number of animals and birds, including otter, wildcat, a tartan sheep, and lots of play areas. Lots of prairie dogs, some of them will eat out of your hand. Open all year round!
• MacRosty Park, on the west side of Crieff, is a large park with Victorian bandstand, picnic areas, tennis courts, children's play area and a range of short walks.  See this link for a map of MacRosty Park   Crieff Tourist Information Office on  01764 652578 should be able to provide information on events taking place in the park.
• The Forestry Commission has information about big trees in the area.
• There is a GoApe centre at Aberfoyle (33 miles from Crieff), where you can take a zip-wire journey high above waterfalls in the forest.

• Pony trekking is available at a number of equestrian centres, including Crieff Hydro and Gleneagles.
• There's an interesting website with information about cycling in Scotland, although the flat doesn't have storage for bicycles.  If you do want to cycle in the area, this hostel in Comrie may be able to help.
• On Sunday 11th October 2009, the St. Fillans Mountain Bike Challenge will take place over an eighteen mile course. If you survive that, the Hairy Coo Mountain Bike Race on 17th October takes place near to the Comrie Croft Hostel. See the Drover's Tryst website for more details.
• About 30 minutes away in Aberfeldy is a paintballing centre called Perthshire Paintball.

Swimming and indoor sports

• There is a swimming pool at the Strathearn recreation centre on Pittenzie Road, just south of Crieff High School.  It is advisable to check the current timetable on 01764 653779.  Outside school holidays the pool is generally open to the public early morning and in the evening, and 10am to 4pm at the weekends.  There is also a fitness gym and indoor sports hall in the centre. 
• The recreation centre is about 10 minutes walk from Commissioner Street, walk east about 100m  then continue another 300m along Broich Terrace and turn right down Pittenzie Road.
• Perth Leisure Pool is about twenty minutes drive away in Perth, on the A93 (Glasgow Road)  It has waterslides,  waterfalls, bubble-beds, wild water feature, outdoor lagoon, children's water play area and other facilities.  Good for a rainy day.

Fishing

• The River Earn runs through Crieff, providing trout and salmon fishing.  Details available from Crieff Angling Club.
• You can get fly-fishing classes at the Mill of Fortune trout fishery in Comrie.  The company in Auchterarder that can organise these also do a range of other outdoor activities, see their website for details.
• There's some good brown trout fishing on Loch Earn nearby.

Rafting, Canoeing & Sailing

- The River Tay offers many opportunities for Canoeing & White Water rafting, there are a few sites in Aberfeldy (about 30 minutes north of Crieff)  that can organise outings at a variety of different levels.

• Splash White Water Rafting
• Dunolly Activity Centre
• Nae Limits organise white water rafting and other outdoor activities in the Perthshire area
• Legend Sailing on Loch Tay can rent you dinghies or offer sailing lessons, or a range of other outdoor activities.

Running

• Strathearn Harriers organise the Crieff 10K, usually in July.  If a ten kilometre run is too easy for you, they also organise the Comrie Hills Relay Race, and they have regular training nights, there are more details on their website.

Golf

There are numerous golf courses close to Crieff, see the following sites for more details.

• Crieff Golf Club
• St. Fillans Golf Club
• Comrie Golf Club
• List of closest golf courses

Climbing and walking

• There are many good walks in and around Crieff to suit all abilities.  Maps and details are available from the Tourist Information centre.  One of the better known and accessible walks is Lady Mary's Walk alongside the River Earn. Another very good one is the short walk to the Knock of Crieff, with excellent views over the town and the surrounding area.
• Ben Chonzie is just to the north of Crieff, a relatively easily climbed Munro (mountain over 3000ft) well known for the numerous hares on the ridge leading to the summit.  There's a good suggested route up the mountain at this Scottish website 
• The Drovers' Tryst walking festival took place in Crieff in October 2008, and the next is planned for 10th to 17th October 2009.  This will be the 8th event, and will include a wide range of activities including the Hairy Coo mountain bike challenge, not just hill walking. 
• The Scottish Climbing Archive and the Scottish Mountaineering Club websites provide some useful information about climbing.
• A good site for weather information is provided by the Mountain Weather Information Service  There's also a basic weather forecast below, although it's not detailed enough to plan a walk it may give an indication
  Weather Forecast | Weather Maps
• Hillphones helps to plan walks to avoid deer stalking areas during August to October.  They provide general information, and a list of numbers to phone to get a recorded message describing where stalking will be taking place. 
• Apparently there is some good rock-climbing at Bennybeg, near to the garden centre.  It's a bolted crag, with some short climbs graded from 3 to 6a+, there's more information about it here.

Castles and Historic Sites

• The Doors Open Day event takes place in September each year, and means that a number of buildings are open to the public. Around Crieff, these have included the Keep at Drummond Castle, Gleneagles House and Chapel and Morrison's Academy. Booking in advance is essential for many of these, see the Doors Open website for more details.
• Just to the south of Crieff you can find Drummond Castle Gardens  The castle itself is not open to the public, but the formal gardens are, normally from the Easter weekend through to the end of October, afternoons only.  The gardens date from the 15th century, and featured in the film "Rob Roy."
• Innerpeffray Library is a few miles away from Crieff, and a good visit if you are interested in books or Scottish history, with occassional Wednesday evening events (see their website for details.)
• Doune Castle, about 30 minutes drive to the south, is famous for various appearances in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  It was built in the 14th century, and was used as a hunting lodge by Scottish monarch, including Mary Queen of Scots.
• There are many prehistoric sites and standing stones around Crieff, you'll be able to find these marked on an OS map of the area.

Transport

• Crieff Taxis are based just round the corner at 12 King Street, 01764 654 620
• Buses are organised by Crieff Travel Services (01764 654333),Citylink (08705 505050) and Stagecoach (01738 629339)

Churches

• There are a number of churches in Crieff, including Crieff Parish Church (01765 653907) on Strathearn Terrace, St. Fillans RC Chapel House (01764 653269) on Ford Road and St. Columba's (01764 656222) on Perth Road.

Health Services

• Crieff Medical centre is about 100m from the flat, down King Street.  Dr. Martin and partners can be contacted on  01764 652283.
• Laurel House Dental Practice on Comrie Road can be contacted on 01764 652209
• The closest chemists is Vantage's, about 20m down King Street.

Other useful websites:

• If we don't have availability or you are looking for somewhere that sleeps more people, you could try Lincluden which sleeps up to 10.
• VisitScotland - official Scottish tourist organisation
• Callander and Trossachs Tourist Information
• Extra Mile Scotland is a good place to look for the very best of Scottish tourism.
• Comrie Community Website was recently featured in a list of top 5 community websites in the Scotsman
• Lots of information about Perthshire , in diary format
• Nothing to do with Crieff, but Jacquie Lawson does some very nice cards.
• Also nothing to do with Crieff, but good for gifts
• Other useful or interesting websites

If you have a TomTom, Garmin or Navman satellite navigation device, you can click this link to download the locations of the places in Crieff mentioned on this page.
Email me to suggest any additions to this page, or if you would like something removed.