Perthshire to Edinburgh
70 miles | 1.5 hours driving | Google Map
Return to Edinburgh - there are some lovely walks, villages, and cafe options along the way. How many you decide to stop at depends on your desired arrival time in Edinburgh and whether you have a window in which to return the rental car / your flight time.
Pick and choose from the list below (note, a short route is included in the Google Map). And be aware that traffic on the A9 return road and on roads entering Edinburgh is often very heavy, so if your flight is today, allow plenty of time for the return journey.
Walk at The Hermitage (Perthshire)
One of Scotland’s best short forest walks is The Hermitage. You’ll find some of Scotland’s tallest trees here and an incredible waterfall accessed via an unexpected hall. The trail itself is easy to follow, with signposts from the car park. You can continue and walk a much longer loop, but we recommend stopping at the hall + waterfall (the most beautiful parts) and retracing your steps.
If you’d like a treat before or after your walk, Full Circle, near the entrance, is well known locally for its excellent coffee and doughnuts.
Directions: car park (small fee)
Time: around 30 minutes for the short route
Dunkeld (Perthshire)
A charming, compact conservation village, this is a lovely short stop. Wander along the banks of the River Tay, see Dunkeld Cathedral, and explore the beautifully preserved conservation village.
Be sure to grab a pastry from iconic, Scandi-style Aran Bakery. Known for its sourdough, flaky pastries, savoury pastries, and sweet treats, this is a must (take-away only).
Or, a lunch option today is the award-winning Redwood Wines. This small eatery specialises in delicious roast beef sandwiches, charcuterie, and fresh small plates, served with carefully selected wines. It’s open daily between 12 and 3pm, and pre-booking is a must.
If you’re looking to take home a bottle of single malt, head to the excellent Whisky Box.
Directions: car park (small fee)
Culross (Fife)
A strong contender for the prettiest village in Scotland! Culross (pronounced Coo-riss) is centuries old, with ancient streets, a palace, a coastal walkway, and the excellent The Mercat Café.
It’s also one of Scotland’s best-preserved historic villages and a standout for anyone interested in old-world architecture. Largely untouched since the 17th century, it offers an unusually complete picture of life in a prosperous Scottish burgh during that period.
Like Falkland, Culross is also known as an Outlander spot, having appeared as the village of Cranesmuir.
The steep cobbled streets rise from the shoreline toward Culross Palace, passing rows of whitewashed houses with red pantile roofs, crow-stepped gables, and small sash windows. The area around Black Causeway and the Mercat Cross is particularly atmospheric and forms the village's historic heart.
Pop into The Mercat café for lunch, cakes, or coffee.
Directions: parking
South Queensferry (Midlothian)
South Queensferry is a quaint seaside town with cobbled streets, cafés, bakeries, and one of the best views of the Forth bridges. The town was once the site of the car ferry crossing to Aberdeen before the road bridge opened in 1964. Today, you’ll see both the historic Forth Railway Bridge (opened 1890) and the modern Queensferry Crossing (opened 2017).
This website provides more information about the bridges' history.
For coffee and pastries, we recommend Dune for locally roasted coffee and amazing baked treats (worth the occasional queue). Alternatives include Manna House Bakery & Patisserie for lunch, or Brew Culture for coffee.
Stroll along Harbour Lane to the pier for fantastic views of the bridges and a stretch along the promenade. If time allows, there are boat trips from the dock into the Firth of Forth and beneath the bridges, lasting around 1.5 hours (£18pp).
You can see tours and tickets here.
Parking/directions:Queensferry Scotmid (short stay) or Promenade Parking (long stay)