4 Day Food and Drink Itinerary
Scottish short break for food lovers, in beautiful Perth and Kinross.
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4-Day Itinerary Rundown – Public Transport Friendly
- Day One – Indian Cook School and Shopping the Food and Drink Experts – Perth
- Day Two – Loch Leven's Larder, The Gin Laboratory and The Kirklands Hotel – Kinross
- Day Three – Blair Athol Distillery, Hettie's Tearoom, and Saorsa 1875 – Pitlochry
- Day Four – Italba Pasta Workshop, Shopping the Strathearn Experts – Comrie, and Greyson's Wine Bar – Perth
Perth is renowned for its delicious selection of cafés, restaurants, tea rooms and award-winning chefs. This love of good food can be found across the entire region, from world-class restaurants to simple, wholesome street food.
Add to this the growing number of distilleries, breweries and tap rooms, and you’ll soon discover why our abundant area is a must-visit destination for food lovers from around the globe. Perthshire also boasts two of Scotland’s Michelin Star restaurants – Andrew Fairlie @ Gleneagles and The Lalique at Glenturret – and the UK’s only vegan hotel with fine dining experience – Saorsa 1875 in Pitlochry.
There is a strong commitment to creating menus using locally produced ingredients and from the sausages in your breakfast roll to the foraged herbs on your rosette-starred meal, you will find the flavour of Perthshire runs deep.
See Also: Eating & Drinking in Perthshire >
Perthshire Eat Week | 30th August – 8th September 2024
New for 2024, Perthshire Eat Week will celebrate the area's vibrant culinary scene over a 10-day long foodie extravaganza. With over 30 of Perthshire's finest restaurants, cafés, bars, and food businesses participating, this region-wide feast will fill you up and leave you feeling truly satisfied!
Register for a FREE Perthshire Eat Week pass to unlock exclusive discounts and special offers at the top dining spots across the area.
Find out more and get your pass at: perthshire.eat-week.co.uk >
Day 1
Morning | Indian Cook School
Kick off your foodie adventure with a lesson in making authentic Indian street food. The Indian Cook School is run by award-winning restauranteur and chef Praveen Kumar, and his wife, Swarna.
Here, you will learn how to make classic Indian cuisine just like street food vendors in South India where the couple hail from. Pakoras, curries, perfect fluffy rice and crispy poppadoms – you are about to become the envy of your friends!
The class starts at 09:30am and lasts for around five hours, with many opportunities for dining and drinking and a bag full of your own Indian cooking to take home.
- £119.95 per person. Must be booked in advance.
Indian Cook School >
Afternoon | Food & Drink Shopping with Perth Independents
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Walk off your feast of Indian dishes with a walk back into the city centre for a look round the food and drink experts in Perth. It's an easy 15-minute stroll but you can also catch the number 56 bus from Tesco on Edinburgh Road (not far from the Indian Cook School) which gets in at Canal Street.
Start your shopping on St John Street, where you will find Malts and Spirits, a specialist retailer of single malt whisky – with over 350 on offer – blended whisky and other premium spirits including gin and rum. Run by Steve, an expert in whisky, you will find a warm welcome - including a taster of a wee dram – and exceptional knowledge.
Just across the street, the Highland Health Store offers a wide range of natural foods, including many vegan options, and those hard to find ingredients that modern recipes call for.
Turn right onto the High Street, for a mouthwatering stop at Rabbit Hole Cakes, an award-winning cake shop specialising in the most fantastic traybakes, brownies, blondies, cookies and more.
Moving onto George Street, you'll find three of the city's most trusted independent experts, guaranteed to get any foodie excited!
Provender Brown Delicatessen and Cheesemongers, one of the city's longest-standing independent retailers, specialises in cheeses, charcuterie, groceries, chilled smoked meats and fish, wine, beers and spirits and handmade deli classics such as quiches and coleslaws. Everything is sourced from the best in Scottish, British and European artisans with many items from producers around Perth.
Pair your deli treats with the perfect loaf of hand-baked bread, just a stone’s throw away at Casella and Polegato. The expert artisan bakers combine traditional Italian recipes with the best quality local Scottish ingredients, to create a range of award-winning sour-dough bread and pastries. Their motto is naturally, quality without compromise, and you can taste it in every bite.
For coffee aficionados, The Bean Shop is something of a Perth institution. Selling their own small batch handroasted coffees, loose leaf teas and an array of pots, cups and coffee accoutrements, you will be amazed how long you can spend in this little shop at the top of George Street!
Meet More Perth Indies >
Evening | Meal in Perth City Centre
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Perth boasts an outstanding choice of award-winning independent restaurants that showcase the very best in local and Scottish produce, as well as offering an abundance of flavours far from our Scottish doorstep.
In 2018 Perth was awarded the inaugural "Scotland's Food Town" accolade and it is testament to the expert brigade of cooks, chefs and servers that work hard year in, and year out, to keep locals and visitors well fed and happy.
From two-rosette dining by the banks of the river, to a forty-year-old Chinese institution, and award-winning Indian street food, you’ll find there is a meal to suit all tastes and budgets – satisfaction guaranteed!
When your meal is done, you can head to one of our many bars or pubs for a glass of wine, a cold craft beer or a specially mixed cocktail.
Perth, Scotland City Centre Restaurants >
Day 2
Morning | Loch Leven’s Larder
Wake up early and head to the picturesque town of Kinross, thirty minutes south of Perth. Kinross is set in beautiful, lush green countryside, and just outside the town you’ll find Loch Leven’s Larder, a farm shop and café overlooking the stunning Loch Leven. The Food Hall shines a spotlight on local produce and farm-fresh foods, with mouth-watering pastries, cheeses, breads and salads to tempt your taste buds. Be sure to try a luxury sausage roll – a favourite among customers!
You'll no doubt feel hungry after all of that food browsing, and luckily, Loch Leven’s Larder has both sit-in and takeaway options available. Choose from table service in Larder Café, or the takeaway option in their Greenhouse Café with outdoor heated canopy. Both offer meals and light bites using the same high-quality local produce that can be found in the Food Hall.
- The X56 bus from South Street, Perth takes 30 minutes to reach Kirklands Hotel, Kinross
- The number 201 bus from Kinross Park and Ride (towards Glenrothes) takes 20 minutes to reach Loch Leven’s Larder
- Open 9am–5:30pm
Loch Leven's Larder, Kinross >
Afternoon | The Gin Laboratory
Back in Kinross, test your inner mad scientist at the Gin Laboratory. With the guidance of expert distiller Kenneth Campbell, you’ll unlock the secrets of gin-making using all manner of scientific equipment.
This immersive experience will give you the chance to explore the flavours and elements of the iconic drink before having a go at customising your own three gins to enjoy over ice with some tonic.
Don’t worry if you aren’t a well-versed scientist, the Gin Laboratory creates a fun and relaxing environment that welcomes all people (who are over 18!) to enjoy the art of gin making. And if you want a little memento of your day as a distiller, you can make your own bottle of completely personalised gin to take home.
- £35 per person, plus £20 per bottle of personalised gin
- Experience lasts 90 minutes
- Over 18s only
The Gin Laboratory, Kinross >
Evening | The Kirklands Hotel Restaurant, Kinross
The Kirklands Hotel provides more than just a home away from home. Proprietors Anthony and Shona Clifford have restyled this original coaching inn to give the interior a contemporary and modern feel and their food and drink offer is loved by visitors and locals alike.
From the relaxing bar and lounge offering freshly ground coffees and tempting cocktails to the stylish restaurant, serving the finest of modern bistro cuisine, you will find a great choice of classic bistro food including burgers, fish & chips and macaroni cheese, alongside modern Scottish cuisine influenced by global flavours. The menus change seasonally, using fresh local produce, and everything is prepared in house by a team of skilled chefs.
You can catch the bus back to Perth right outside the hotel, including the X56 Stagecoach.
Day 3
Morning | Blair Athol Distillery
It wouldn’t be a trip to Perthshire without celebrating a drop of the amber nectar – whisky. The national drink of Scotland has been distilled in Perthshire for centuries, and in 2023 the world's oldest bottle of whisky, which was distilled in 1833, was discovered in the cellar of Blair Castle just north of Pitlochry. It seems only fitting therefore, to take a trip up to Pitlochry to visit Blair Athol Distillery.
Established in 1798, this working distillery offers a range of tours and experiences, including their signature tour of a guided look around the distillery followed by a tasting of three selected whiskies.
- Train from Perth Train Station to Pitlochry Train Station runs 11 times throughout the day and takes 30 minutes
- Signature tour from £19 per adult
- Children over 8 are permitted entry with a valid ticket, however under 18s cannot take part in whisky tasting
- Booking ahead of time is recommended to guarantee a space
Blair Athol Distillery, Pitlochry >
Afternoon | Lunch at Hettie’s Tearoom
Once finished at the distillery, take the 15-minute walk back into the town and head to Hettie’s Tearoom. Hettie’s has a no-teabag -policy, preferring to embrace the unique and aromatic taste of their own special infusions and teas.
Tea is not all that can be found in Hettie’s; they're also famous for their mouth-watering plump scones and huge cakes, all homemade and available to enjoy in the quirky pink and teal tearoom. If you’re looking for a savoury bite to eat, there's also a delicious lunch menu serving soup, sandwiches, and paninis every day until 5pm.
And if the weather allows, stop by their ice cream window for a final treat on the way out!
- Open Monday–Sunday, 10:30am–5pm
- Booking a table ahead of time is recommended
Hettie's Tearoom >
Evening | Dinner at Saorsa 1875
Any pre conceived ideas you may have about vegan food are going to be put to bed after a meal at Saorsa 1875 – the UK’s first 100% vegan hotel.
The ever expanding, expertly crafted menu focuses entirely on fruits and vegetables, which are perfectly combined and balanced to create exquisite dishes cooked fresh from scratch on site.
All ingredients used are natural (no fake meats here!), and where possible are organic and either home-grown or sourced from local farmers and foraging hot spots.
The hotel bar serves up a specially curated drinks menu consisting of craft beers, wines, cocktails, and mocktails, all inspired by Pitlochry’s many colours and flavours.
- Bookings for the tasting menu must be made at least 24 hours prior to visiting
Saorsa 1875 >
Day 4
Morning | Italba Dining Pasta Workshop
Get your apron back on and head out to Comrie for a pasta-making workshop at Italba Dining. Hosted by experienced chef Nelson Reposo, the intimate workshop of eight people maximum will test your hand in making authentic Italian pasta such as tagliatelle and pappardelle, as well as filled pastas like ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta filling.
And what’s pasta without sauce? You will also learn the craftsmanship behind authentic Italian sauces, right down to the most precious details. And for a sweet finish, you will turn your hand to that of an Italian pastry chef, making traditional desserts such as tiramisu and panna cotta.
Once the cooking is done, everyone sits down together to enjoy their hard work and a nice, chilled glass of wine.
- Classes run for four hours and include a two-course meal
- Cost starting at £85 per person
- Booking is essential
- Number 15 bus from Kinnoull Street, Perth takes one hour to reach Comrie Library
Italba Dining, Comrie >
Afternoon | Independent Artisans, Comrie
After finishing up at Italba, head out and explore the food and drink experts in Comrie. The scenic wee town has stunning views of the rolling Perthshire countryside, and a few foodie stops worth checking out before getting the bus back to Perth.
- Hansen’s Kitchen is a much-loved local deli offering a selection of foods from cheeses to artisan spirits, fancy grocery goods, filled baguettes and takeaway treats. You can also enjoy a coffee or tea as sit in. Hansen’s Kitchen opens Monday–Tuesday, 8am–3:30pm and Wednesday–Saturday 8am–4pm
- David Comrie & Son, a seventh-generation award-winning family butcher established in 1835, produces a wide selection of traditionally sourced Perthshire meat and poultry, handmade by their butchers into sausages, burgers, haggis, steak pies and much more. Pop it in a chill bag to take home! David Comrie & Son opens Monday, 8am–2pm and Tuesday–Saturday, 8am–4pm
- Wild Hearth Bakery recently opened their Comrie High Street shop a mile or so from the bakery at Cultybraggan. Find the full range of delicious wood-fired sourdough bread and sourdough pastries … and while you’re there, sample their coffee, cold drinks and other specialty products. Wild Hearth Comrie High Street opens Tuesday–Saturday, 8am–3.30pm
Evening | Greyson’s Wine Bar
Back in Perth, stop at Greyson’s Wine Bar for a drink and light bite to eat. Located in the city centre on Kinnoull Street, Greyson’s has a friendly, laid-back atmosphere, and offers a healthy selection of wines, gins, cocktails, and coffee.
If you’re feeling peckish – that pasta may have worn off by now – choose from their delicious charcuterie boards and food platters, consisting of cheese, meats, vegetarian snacks and breads to make a perfect combination with your drink of choice. The lowkey environment is perfect for relaxing and chatting before the journey home, while still satisfying your foodie heart.
- Open Wednesday, 1–9pm, Thursday, 1– 0pm and Friday–Saturday, 1–11pm
- Number 15 bus from Comrie Library takes one hour to reach South Methven Street, Perth