Crieff is a traditional market town in Perth and Kinross in the county of Perthshire, and the capital of Strathearn. It was once called the Montpellier of Scotland as it earned its status as a popular Victorian health resort known for healing air and scenery.

Crieff is at the edge of the Highlands, sitting on the slopes of the Grampian foothills, wrapped around the Knock of Crieff. It overlooks the Strathearn Valley and descends to meet River Earn at the southwest quarter of the valley. The wooded peak of Knock of Crieff rises above the town. The centre of the town features James Square and its fountain. The population here is just over 7400.

Its oceanic climate and proximity to the Highlands bring cool summers and cold winters. The salubrity of its climate is one of the allures of Crieff that made it the ‘Queen of Scottish health resorts’ for more than a century.

As a link town between the Highlands and Lowlands, Crieff became a centre for numerous drove roads, giving rise to Scotland's largest cattle market. During the 17th and 18th Centuries, thousands of highland cattle were driven from north and west of Scotland to be sold at the town's great cattle trysts.

Crieff was where the first public lending library in Scotland was opened in 1680. The library was housed in the attic of the then St. Mary's Chapel, Church of the Blessed Virgin in the hamlet of Innerpeffray.

The roofless Muthill Old Church is a medieval church that dates back to the 1100s. Amazingly, it still has a fully-intact Romanesque tower, which was free-standing before the 1400s.

History

• Drummond Castle Gardens are the most important example of formal terraced gardens in Scotland and some of the finest in Europe.
• Glenturret Distillery is the oldest working distillery and the most visited distillery in Scotland. Visitor tours give an up-close look at traditional whiskey making. They have been hand-crafting single-malt whiskey since 1763. The distillery is located in the lower glen, overlooking the River Turret.
• Lady Mary’s Walk was made famous by Lady Mary Murray, whose family were local landowners in the early 19th Century. The picturesque route runs along the banks of the River Earn and takes you through an avenue of mature oak, beech, lime, and sweet chestnut trees. Some of the trees are more than 150 years old.

• Crieff Hydro resort offers 60+ outdoor and indoor leisure activities, including an adventure park, extreme sports, horse riding, golfing, tennis, archery, air rifle, woodland combat, zip wire, watersports, and mountain biking.
• If you are a keen golfer, Crieff Golf Club is one of Scotland’s top-rated inland courses. Surrounded by the mesmerising countryside and built on gently sloping parkland with stunning views, the two courses offer excellent playing conditions for golfers of all levels throughout the year.
• Macrosty Park in Crieff features a woodland, a network of paths, and a Victorian bandstand.
• If you want a postcard-pretty village experience, go to Comrie with the kids for the day. The village is situated west of Crieff, nestled between Glen Lednock and Glen Artney. It experiences more earth tremors than anywhere else in the UK due to its geological position on the Highland Boundary Fault. Comrie offers an array of local shops with places to stay and eat out.
• If your daredevil spirit can stretch to skydiving, visit the nearby Skydive Strathallan, the oldest and largest skydiving centre in Scotland. It is also a full facility for licensed skydivers.
• Crieff Highland Gathering, held at the iconic Market Park, presents traditional Highland games competitions, Highland Dancing, and piping.
• Walking up the Knock of Crieff is a worthy family endeavour for spectacular views at the top.

Crieff Arts Festival takes place yearly. The Great High Street Exhibition, one of the main events, showcases paintings, sculptures, and crafts by shops in the town centre.

Crieff Visitor Centre is now the home of the world-renowned Caithness Glass. Watch skilled craftsmen at work from the viewing gallery and take home a handmade paperweight or an art glass. Crieff’s old-wordly high street is lined with independent shops, bakers, quality bars, and restaurants.

Morrison’s Academy and Ardvreck School are independent schools in Crieff. Crieff Primary School, Comrie Primary School, Madderty Primary Scheel, Muthill Primary School, St Dominic’s RC Primary, and Crieff High School add to the list of schools in the town.

Perth College UHI, Strathearn Community Campus, and the Scottish Agricultural College are the nearest higher education institutions.

Perth is the all-access railway station to get off from, or you could also get off from Gleneagles or Dunblane to reach Perth by bus, car, or even a bike. Taking the A9 past Stirling and branching north on A822 at Braco, or from the east taking A85 from Perth brings you to Crieff. A823 is the scenic route from Dunfermline over Knock Hill to Yetts of Muckart, then through Glen Devon and Gleneagles, but it requires good navigation.

Stagecoach Perth bus 15 takes you to Crieff Frequent trains reach Perth railway station to and from London and the rest of Scotland. Buses from Perth to Crieff, Stirling or St Fillans, Auchterarder, Mains of Gorthy, and Killin are available. Dundee is the nearest airport.