Museums in Perthshire

From wee museums staffed by volunteers to the grandeur of one of the oldest museums in the world, the story of Perthshire and its people is proudly evoked in various locations around the county. Discover how Perthshire folk lived and worked in years gone by - from ancient Picts and proud Clansmen to seasonal staff in a historic hotel to a celebrated Scottish Colourist painter. Marvel at the beauty of Perth glass and silver and enjoy the work of artists from home and abroad. Whatever your interest, you’ll find it in the museums of Perthshire.

Perth Museum

Opened in March 2024, the new Perth Museum is situated in Perth City Hall right in the town centre. With an outstanding collection of over 500,000+ objects, the museum has been recognised as a collection of National Significance to Scotland. Items of particular interest are the displays of Perth Glass and Perth Silver. The Stone of Destiny is one of the centrepieces of the new museum, as well as the 3,000 year old Carpow Logboat. Entry to the museum is free except for the temporary exhibition on unicorns (Scotland’s national animal) which is open from March - September 2024. Entry to the Stone of Destiny experience is free but requires a timed ticket. Open daily.  Gift shop and large cafe.

B&Bs near Perth - Northlands Bed and Breakfast, Pitlochry,  Brae House, Aberfeldy, Dalgreine Guest House, Blair Atholl, Craigellie House, near Blairgowrie, Newton Farm, Inverarity

Perth Art Gallery

One of the oldest museums in the world, this Palladian style building was based on the Pantheon in Rome, with Ionic columns to express the building's function for learning. Founded in 1784 the Antiquarian Society of Perth became the Literary and Antiquarian Society of Perth and after extending the building in the 1930s, it was merged with the Perthshire Natural History Museum to become Perth Museum and Art Gallery. Following the opening of the new museum in Perth City Hall in 2024, this building became known as the Perth Art Gallery. It has Dutch, Flemish and Old Masters paintings and work by Scottish artists from the 16th century to the present day.

B&Bs near Perth - Northlands Bed and Breakfast, Pitlochry,  Brae House, Aberfeldy, Dalgreine Guest House, Blair Atholl, Craigellie House, near Blairgowrie, Newton Farm, Inverarity

Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum

The former Meigle schoolhouse is home to one of the most important collections of early medieval sculpture in western Europe. Built next to the graveyard where most of the stones were found, it contains a collection of 26 Pictish carved stones dating from the late 8^th - 10^th centuries. The collection includes recumbent gravestones, cross slabs and a hogback stone that validate the craftsmanship and artistic talents of Pictish society. Located between Blairgowrie and Forfar.

B&Bs near Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum - Northlands Bed and Breakfast, Pitlochry, Brae House, Aberfeldy, Craigellie House, near Blairgowrie, Newton Farm, Inverarity

Pitlochry and Moulin Heritage Centre

Pitlochry and Moulin Heritage Centre is located in the old Moulin Kirk, situated in the conservation village of Moulin, near Pitlochry. After the church closed for worship in 1989, it was purchased from the Church of Scotland and has since been transformed into a Heritage Centre telling the fascinating story of this wonderful part of Highland Perthshire. Staffed by volunteers, it is open May to October and displays local archives of the Moulin & Pitlochry History Circle, together with a selection of photographs and memorabilia of Pitlochry Past and Present. In the Kirkyard, adjacent to the Centre is a Crusaders Grave that dates back to the 12th century. The flat grave stone has a claymore carved on it and is believed to be the final resting place of some long forgotten lord from the Black Castle at Moulin.

B&Bs near Pitlochry Moulin Heritage Centre - Northlands Bed and Breakfast, Pitlochry, Brae House, Aberfeldy, Bridge of Gaur Guesthouse, Loch Rannoch, Craigellie House, near Blairgowrie, Dalgreine Guest House, Blair Atholl,

Clan Donnachaidh Museum

The museum by the House of Bruar, near Blair Atholl, was established in 1969 by the Duke of Atholl. It was the first purpose-built clan museum in Scotland and is dedicated to the clan which bears its name. The name Donnachaidh means “children of Duncan” and the museum displays a variety of artefacts relating to the history of the clan including the mystical Stone of the Standard or Clan na Bratach.

B&Bs near Clan Donnachaidh Museum - Dalgreine Guest House, Blair Atholl, Northlands Bed and Breakfast, Pitlochry, Bridge of Gaur Guesthouse, Loch Rannoch, Brae House, Aberfeldy, Craigellie House, near Blairgowrie

Atholl Palace Museum

This interesting museum can be found in the Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry. Following the story of the Hydropathic movement and the history of the Atholl Palace since being built in 1878, it tells of life upstairs and downstairs within the hotel. There are tales of questionable entrepreneurs’, bankruptcy and eccentric spa treatments, together with the life of Victorian hotel servants, many of whom lived in the servants’ quarters where the museum is based.

B&Bs near Atholl Palace Museum - Northlands Bed and Breakfast, Pitlochry, Dalgreine Guest House, Blair Atholl, Brae House, Aberfeldy, Bridge of Gaur Guesthouse, Loch Rannoch, Craigellie House, near Blairgowrie