What’s going for it? It’s called the Fair City. Too right. It’s a looker. Standing on the bridge over the river, gawping at Tay Street and the city skyline, I doubt there’s a prettier city in the nation. So neat are its sober grey streets, so handsome its architecture, so prim and perfect its gardens, I can hardly imagine fiery old John Knox in St John’s Kirk all those centuries ago, kickstarting the Scottish reformation. You don’t come to Perth for kicks these days; you come for the good life. Its economy rests on whisky and insurance. It is equipped with nice restaurants for date nights; parks for conker-hunting with the kids in the honied autumn light; soft, green, squelchy countryside for Sunday walks with the in-laws; property for sale straight out of Elle Decoration.
The case against Perhaps a little uptight in parts. Not the cheapest part of Scotland.
Well connected? Trains: hourly to Dundee (22 mins), Glasgow (just over an hour), Edinburgh (1hr 20), Aberdeen (90 mins). Driving: the M90 and A9 swing by; half an hour to Dundee, just over an hour to Edinburgh or Glasgow, 45 mins to the Cairngorms and Trossachs.
Schools Primaries: many “good”, says Education Scotland, with North Muirton and Goodlyburn “good” or “very good”, St John’s RC and Kinnoull “very good”, and Moncreiffe “very good” or “excellent”. Secondaries: Perth Academy and High are “good”; St John’s RC “very good”.
Hang out at… There’s a good local food scene. Deans or 63 Tay Street are the stalwarts. North Port and Post Box the young pretenders.
Where to buy Some really fine houses, beautifully built, especially from the 19th century. In the grid-plan old town and fringes you’ll find stately Georgian town houses and early Victorians, especially around The North Inch or The South Inch, on Marshall Place et al. Further west, try Oakbank and around Glasgow Road for good Victorians, and south to Craigie. Across the Tay there are fine villas with views in Bridgend and Gannochy, on and off Dundee Road (try Bellwood Park) and up to Kinnoull Hill. Large detacheds and town houses, £350,000-£850,000. Detacheds and smaller town houses, £200,000-£350,000. Semis, £130,000-£400,000. Terraces and cottages, £180,000. Flats, £60,000-£270,000. Rentals: a small market; a one-bed flat, £350-£450pcm.
Bargain of the week A three-bedroom terraced house in Craigie, needing refurbishment, yours for £120,000 with clydeproperty.co.uk.
From the streets
Fraser David “It’s the gateway to the Highlands. It has great food, entertainment galore, parks, forests, one of the best fishing rivers (the Tay), as well as walking, cycling and skiing opportunities.”
Kath Clark “We’re an hour from the beach, the mountains, and Edinburgh. Could do with better public transport, but it’s not bad.”
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