Dunkeld, Scotland Tourist Attractions
|
|
About 12mi/19.2km to the south of Pitlochry lies the idyllic town of Dunkeld. The pretty town with its attractive market place and picturesque little houses in Cathedral Street (faithfully restored by the National Trust for Scotland; not open to the public) grew up in the late 17th C after the original settlement was destroyed by Covenanters in the Battle of Dunkeld (1689).
Cathedral
Dunkeld is noted for its cathedral, one of the oldest in Scotland. This church set in a delightful location in the green Tay valley was founded in 1107. Work started in earnest in 1318 but shortly after its completion in 1560 it was destroyed by the Reformers. The nave which remains roofless and the large northwest tower date from the 15th century, while the restored chancel continues to be used as the parish church. Pictish kings resided in Dunkeld and in the sixth century St Columba established a settlement here to which Celtic monks later added an abbey. When in 844 Kenneth MacAlpin united the Picts and the Scots, he made Dunkeld and Scone his royal residences.
Birnam
Thomas Telford's seven-arched Tay Bridge (1809) connects Dunkeld with the resort of Birnam, which, with its smart houses with pointed gables were built to satisfy the Victorians' great enthusiasm for travel. Birnam Wood is where Shakespeare's Macbeth met his death.
Hermitage Park
One of the five Tyrolean larches planted in 1738 by the Duke of Atholl survives in Hermitage Park, a wood with nature trails. At that time, such exotic trees were much admired and they were planted widely in Scotland until the turn of the century.
