A Journal for the Thrifty Gowfer
While They Golf · Perthshire
Gleneagles is a five-star hotel in a field. That isn't reductive — it's just accurate. The resort sits three miles from the small market town of Auchterarder, surrounded by Perthshire farmland, and the estate is large enough that you can spend a morning on it without playing golf: shooting, falconry, equestrian, off-road driving, a spa that requires advance booking and a degree of commitment. The 2014 Ryder Cup was held here. A helipad exists. The coffee shop sells shortbread at prices that take a moment to process. But the non-golfing companion who ventures beyond the estate gates will find the surrounding area considerably more varied than the hotel brochure suggests. Blair Drummond Safari Park is eight miles south — the only safari park in Scotland, and a serious one. Stirling Castle, twenty miles further south, is arguably the best Renaissance royal palace in Britain. Scone Palace, twenty miles east near Perth, is where Scottish kings were crowned on the Stone of Destiny for five centuries. Crieff, eight miles west, has one of Scotland's oldest distilleries and a Hydro that has been treating Glaswegians to a slightly bruising version of wellness since 1868. Auchterarder village high street — a long, single street of independent shops, galleries, and tearooms — is a pleasant hour and sometimes underestimated. It isn't Pitlochry, but it isn't meant to be.
Practical note
Gleneagles railway station is on the main Edinburgh–Perth–Inverness line, with a short taxi to the hotel; most visitors arrive by car. The A9 is the main north–south artery. Stirling and Perth are both reached easily in 25 minutes on good roads. Blair Drummond Safari Park requires a car and a half-day; book the boat safari in advance in peak season. The Glenturret Distillery in Crieff requires pre-booking. Auchterarder is walkable once parked.
The Picks
8 miles south on the A84 · Scotland's only drive-through safari park · April–October
Giraffes, lions, zebras, rhinos, sea lions, and a boat safari through the chimp island. Scotland's only safari park, and a genuinely substantial family attraction — allow a full day. The sea lion display runs twice daily; the walk-through exhibits take an additional 90 minutes. Pre-book the boat safari online.
20 miles south via the M9 · Historic Environment Scotland · the best Renaissance palace in Scotland
The royal palace built by James V in the 1540s is the architectural highlight — the carved stone figures on the façade (the Stirling Heads) are the finest Renaissance sculpture in Scotland, and the restored Great Hall gives a clear sense of what the palace looked like when Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here as a nine-month-old in 1543. Allow three hours minimum; the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Museum in the castle is an additional 45 minutes.
20 miles east on the A9 · where Scottish kings were crowned on the Stone of Destiny
The Stone of Destiny sat in the coronation chair at Scone for five centuries — Scottish kings from Kenneth MacAlpin onward were crowned on it here before Edward I removed it to Westminster Abbey in 1296. The chair is on display. The grounds have peacocks, a maze, and a pinetum planted with conifers from David Douglas's North American plant-hunting expeditions. A full afternoon.
10 miles west on the A85 · pre-book · Scotland's oldest working distillery
Glenturret has been on this site since 1763 and makes the case on its own terms — the Hector the Cat story (the distillery cat who allegedly caught 28,899 mice before his death in 1987) is either charming or implausible depending on your disposition. The 2021 Lalique partnership has added a serious restaurant and an architectural renovation to the visitor centre. The standard tour includes a tasting; the Lalique Restaurant requires a booking made well in advance.
20 miles east · reopened 2024 after major refurbishment · free entry
The museum reopened in 2024 after a significant renovation and now houses the Stone of Destiny (on loan from Edinburgh Castle) as its centrepiece. The collection covers the natural history and cultural history of Perthshire, with the art gallery holding Scottish work from the 18th century to the present. Allow 90 minutes.
18 miles east · Historic Environment Scotland · intact 15th-century tower house · free
Two adjoining tower houses connected by a great hall — the scene of the Raid of Ruthven in 1582, when James VI was held captive here by Protestant nobles. The 'Maiden's Leap' is the gap between the two towers (allegedly cleared by a young woman of the house escaping a compromising situation). Small admission charge; allow 90 minutes.
3 miles from the resort · high street galleries, independent shops, tearooms
The main street runs for about a mile and is an unshowy but pleasant hour. Several galleries sell Scottish landscape painting; there are a couple of decent delis and a good independent bookshop. Easier to walk than the hotel gift shop, and significantly cheaper.
20 miles northwest on the A85 · long loch, village pub, water sports in season
The loch runs five miles between forested hillsides with Ben Vorlich rising behind the south shore. St Fillans at the east end has a hotel with a loch-view terrace and a water sports centre; Lochearnhead at the west end has a sailing and kayaking centre. The drive along the A85 from Crieff is the easy scenic alternative to the longer NC500-type routes.
For the golfer
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