From The Granite City take this route down the East Coast to enjoy the clean, Scottish sea air.
Early place names in Montrose still show traces of a Norse settlement in this old town. Sitting on a peninsula, with the sea on one side and a tidal basin on the other, it is here that you can explore the Montrose Basin Wildlife Reserve. You can take part in such activities as bird watching, sailing, fishing, wind fowling and bait digging, or you can simply enjoy the beauty of the local nature.
From here why not take a trip to the Montrose Air Station Museum. Montrose airfield was the first operational airfield in Britain set up in 1913. Full of interesting memorabilia and photographs, this museum makes for a fascinating afternoon.
Lying only 13 miles South is the popular East Coast holiday resort of Arbroath. With beautiful sandy beaches and spectacular sandstone cliffs and caves, Arbroath is a scenic and serene holiday spot. Arbroath, like most places in Scotland, is steeped in history. It was here, in Arbroath Abbey that the famous Declaration of Arbroath was signed after the battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where Robert the Bruce liberated Scotland. A traditional fishing town, restaurants make excellent use of local produce, why not take your time to try some world renowned Arbroath Smokies! A lightly smoked haddock delicacy, genuine Arbroath Smokies are prepared using traditional methods dating back to the late 1800's. First the fish are salted overnight in order to preserve them, they are then left tied in pairs to drooth or dry. Once dried the fish are hung in a special barrel, which contains a hardwood fire and covered with a lid. It takes about an hour of smoking, after which the now golden brown fish are ready to eat. Arbroath Smokies are exported all over the world, so make sure you take the time to visit their humble home.
From Arbroath, it's only 25 minutes to Dundee, Scotland's City of Discovery. With a seafaring and industrial heritage, the City has plenty to do on these themes. You can visit Verdant Works, the premier textile heritage centre, or take time to climb on board Captain Scott's famous Antarctic Expedition ship, R.R.S. Discovery, which is berthed in Discovery Quay. In Scotland's 4th largest city there are plenty of shops, restaurants and attractions for all to enjoy. The Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre inspirationally combines, music, film, photography and other art forms, to offer fascinating exhibits. For a birds eye view of the city go to the top of Observatory Hill where you can marvel at the engineering of the famous road and rail bridges.
Perth is just a short trip South West from Dundee, the Gateway to the Highlands; it is full of entertainment and has excellent connections to all over Scotland. Perth city centre occupies a small area and is very easy to explore by foot. It is a town with an upbeat air and has plenty of shops, restaurants and bars to relax in. Perth is distinctly Scottish, with a slight dash of European Style. With many markets held on a weekly basis throughout Perth, including farmers markets, craft markets and continental markets, shopping in the city comes with a twist. Perth has a lot of cultural activities on offer as well. There are three annual arts festivals held in Perthshire - one at Perth, one in Dunkeld and one in Birnam, and don't forget in the heart of the town there is Perth Theatre, it is here that stars like Ewen McGregor made their debut!
Whilst Perth and its surrounding countryside provides a great destination for all kinds of outdoor activities, it is also rich in history and ancient buildings - these include Roman Forts, Medieval Castles, Pictish Stones and Crannogs. Crannogs were homesteads that were built during the Iron Age by farmers using enormous wooden piles driven into the bed of the loch. You can visit a crannog on loch Tay, near Kenmore and in ancient times it is believed that there used to be 18 crannog dwellings in this loch alone. You will even be able to get a taste of prehistoric life and have an opportunity to try ancient skills first hand such as woodturning, wool spinning and grinding grain.
One of Perth's most visited attractions is Scone Palace, pronounced "Scoon". This is home to the Earl of Mansfield and the ancient crowning place of Scottish Kings. It is a treasure of fine paintings, furniture and porcelain and at the foot of the grounds at Moot Hill you can visit the site of the famous Coronation "Stone of Destiny" this was the crowning site for Kenneth McAlpine and Robert the Bruce. It is easy to spend an entire morning here. As well as visiting the Palace you can walk around the grounds amongst the residential peacocks and there is also an aromatic pine garden planted in 1848 with exotic conifers, a donkey park and an adventure playground for children.
