Situated on Scotland’s longest river, the River Tay, the pretty little town of Aberfeldy is a perfectly positioned base for exploring the surrounding Highland Perthshire region and beyond. The town is synonymous with Aberfeldy Distillery, which welcomes visitors throughout the year for a tour and a dram of single malt whisky; and the Birks of Aberfeldy, an area of dense woodland leading to a waterfall that was made famous by Scotland’s national bard, Robert Burns. Outdoor lovers will find plenty of things to do in Aberfeldy, from white water rafting and abseiling to canyoning and mountain biking.
Summer is the prime time to enjoy everything Aberfeldy and the Highland Perthshire region offers. Summer days are long in Scotland’s Highlands (at the height of summer, it remains light until after 11pm) and promise the best of Scotland’s notoriously fickle weather. Fall is also appealing as the biggest crowds will have gone, and the forests will be blazing in rich reds and oranges. Perthshire is known as “big tree country” and is the best place in Scotland for leaf peeping.
While Aberfeldy is small enough to get around on foot, having your own vehicle is the key to getting the most out of your time in the Highland Perthshire region. With some planning and patience, you can get around major points of interest using public transportation. Regular buses connect Aberfeldy with Pitlochry, from where you can take a train to Aviemore or Inverness, and with Perth, from where you can catch trains to Glasgow and Dundee.
Aberfeldy became Scotland’s first Fair Trade Town in 2002. Because the area’s retailers and attractions make efforts to promote fair trade, organic, and environmentally friendly products, it is a great place to shop for one-of-a-kind souvenirs. Housed in a former watermill, Aberfeldy Watermill is a bookshop, café, and gallery and one of the town’s best shopping destinations, as is Artisanand, a contemporary gallery showcasing Scottish arts and crafts.
