Things To Do In Comrie
Although only a moderately sized village in the Strathearn valley, Comrie has more than its fair share of wonderful things to do, and we find ourselves there fairly regularly, either on a fun day out with family, visiting with friends or even a quiet day just for us. Here’s a few of our favourites:
Drummond Castle Gardens
We love visiting Drummond Castle Gardens. There’s something so unique about it, so full of interest, and so genuinely relaxing. The contrast between being able to see the entire layout from the top of the magnificent staircase, to being within and able to explore each little nook without being quite sure what’s in it—statue, bench, flowerbed or fountain—is a charming experience. Open from May to October, tickets are £10 per adult.
Deil’s Cauldron
This picturesque walk starts from a small car park with a sign for Glen Lednock, where a narrow track slowly takes you through woodlands towards the river, which you can hear getting closer and closer.
The first waterfall, known as the Wee Cauldron, has a great viewing platform with a bench for enjoying your surroundings. Eventually you’ll arrive at a wooden bridge, which marks the start of a series of steps and walkways that make the path accessible, and a viewing platform over the actual Deil’s Cauldron. This narrow waterfall is between two huge outcroppings of rock, through which you catch a glimpse of flashing white, tumbling out into a slightly wider fall and eventually disappearing into the deep black pool below. Definitely worth seeing!
Auchingarrich Wildlife Park
Auchingarrich is a fairly unique place—quite a small park, it nevertheless has so much to explore, including ‘open’ enclosures where you can actually go in and mingle with the animals. I love seeing the wallabies, emus and flamingoes up close, and other personal favourites are the marmosets and lemurs. There’s also a go cart area and soft play for the children and the Dizzy Duck cafe is a great way to re-energise for the drive home. Tickets usually cost £14 per adult, but they frequently have special offers running, such as the current ‘grandparents go free’ in June.
Cultybraggan Camp
There’s not much that’s new to us in Perthshire, but May saw our first ever visit to Cultybraggan Camp—but certainly not our last. This old prisoner of war camp is fascinating to wander around, and also boasts a museum, self catering huts, a quirky cafe and some local business premises. Offering something a bit different, we’re looking forward to a longer visit next time!
Other places to visit in the area are of course the village of Comrie itself, and Comrie Croft, with its guided mountain biking and hiking trails, as well as hosting other local business, including Tomnah’a Market Garden, Comrie Art Hut, Nowhere Sauna, and the Gorse Cafe, where I can recommend the sandwiches!
