Best Picnic Spots in Highland Perthshire for Sunny Days

There is a particular kind of Perthshire afternoon — the light soft and honeyed, the Tay running low and clear, the hills hazy blue behind Dunkeld — that practically insists you abandon your plans and eat outdoors instead. The good news is that you are spoiled for choice. Within twenty minutes of the town you can be beside a salmon river, under Douglas firs taller than a church spire, or on a hilltop with the whole strath laid out below you. Here is where to spread the blanket.

Pack for Four Seasons in One Afternoon

Highland Perthshire can deliver sunshine, a stiff breeze and a shower within the same hour, so a little forward planning pays off. A flask earns its place even in July, and something to weigh the corner of your blanket down is worth its weight in gold on exposed viewpoints.

• Layers and a light waterproof: the glens funnel weather in fast, and a hilltop that is balmy at the car park can be distinctly fresh at the top.
• A groundsheet-backed blanket: riverside grass and woodland clearings are often damper than they look.
• Midge repellent or a head net: the biting season runs roughly from late June to August, worst at dusk near lochs, slow water and dense woodland.
• A rubbish bag: bins are scarce outside the towns, so plan to carry everything home with you.
• Parking change or a card: several car parks charge, and a few machines still prefer coins.

The Hermitage: Riverside Picnics Under Giant Trees

Just west of Dunkeld, the River Braan tumbles through a wooded gorge that has been drawing visitors for more than two centuries. The walk in from the car park at Inver is gentle and mostly level, following the water upstream through some of the tallest trees in Britain. Look for the enormous Douglas firs on the far bank — they are genuinely vertiginous when you crane your neck.

The classic picnic spot is the grassy bank just below the falls, where the river narrows and crashes over black rock into a swirling pool. Arrive before eleven in summer if you want a bench to yourself, and keep small children close on the wet rocks near the falls. In late spring the woodland floor is thick with wild garlic and bluebells, and the scent alone is worth the walk.

Meadows by the Tay at Dunkeld and Birnam

For a picnic that requires almost no effort at all, head for the grassy banks beside the Tay in Dunkeld itself. The meadow between the bridge and the cathedral is flat, sheltered and beautifully placed, with the broad river sliding past and the town's old houses peeking through the trees. It is easy ground for buggies and wheelchairs, and there are plenty of benches if you would rather not sit on the grass.

Cross the bridge to Birnam for a second option: the riverside path and the field edges near the famous Birnam Oak, a gnarled survivor of the ancient wood that Shakespeare made famous. It is a lovely spot to eat a sandwich in the shade of something genuinely old. Do keep an eye on river levels after heavy rain upstream, and please do not feed the swans and geese — bread does them real harm.

Lochshores: Lowes, Tummel and Tay

Lochs give you water, views and normally a breeze to keep the midges honest. The little loch near Dunkeld is a treat for wildlife watchers, with ospreys in summer, red squirrels in the woods and fallow deer grazing the far shore; there is a pleasant patch of grass by the entrance where you can sit and watch while you eat.

Further afield, the shore at Kenmore at the eastern end of Loch Tay offers shallow bays for paddling and plenty of grass for spreading out. For sheer drama, drive to the Queen's View above Loch Tummel, where picnic tables look straight down the water towards the unmistakable cone of Schiehallion. It is one of the finest lunch spots in Scotland — and one of the busiest, so go early or late.

Hilltop Picnics at Birnam Hill and Craig a Barns

If you fancy earning your sandwiches, Birnam Hill is the obvious choice. The path climbs through beech and larch to the summit at around 400 metres, which takes most walkers forty minutes to an hour. From the top you get the whole Tay valley, Dunkeld's cathedral tucked below, and the southern Grampians on the horizon. It is breezy up there, so take something to hold the blanket down.

For a shorter effort with a big reward, Craig a Barns above the Tay gives you a cliff-edge viewpoint after a steep but brief climb of twenty to thirty minutes. The waymarked trails through the surrounding forest are lovely in autumn, when the larches turn gold. Both are worth timing for late afternoon, when the light softens and most people have gone home.

Practical Notes: Access, Wildlife and Leaving No Trace

Nearly all of the ground described here is working countryside or privately owned land with public access, so a few habits keep it that way. Follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: park considerately, close gates behind you, keep dogs under close control around livestock and ground-nesting birds, and take all litter home.

• Ticks: check yourself and children after walking through long grass or bracken, and remove any ticks promptly with fine tweezers.
• Fires and barbecues: avoid lighting anything on dry grass or woodland litter; a small stove is far safer.
• Weather: tell someone your route if you are heading onto the hills, and turn back if the cloud comes down.
• Water: do not drink straight from rivers or lochs, however clear they look.

Pack the flask, pick your spot, and give yourself a good hour to do nothing much at all. That, more than any viewpoint, is what a Perthshire picnic is really for.