Perthshire

The historically important regions of Perthshire and Stirling straddle the Highland Boundary Fault, the dividing line between the heavily populated Central Lowlands and the wild, remote Highlands. Just across this 'border' are the Trossachs, a beautiful area of mountains and forests eulogized by Sir Walter Scott that stretches west from Callander, and the glens of Perthshire, steeped in the rich broth of Scottish history and seasoned with lochs and mountains.

To the east, bounded by the Firth of Tay to the north and the Firth of Forth to the south, is the Kingdom of Fife, once isolated from the rest of the country. Even since the building of the Forth and Tay bridges, the region has managed to retain its own peculiar flavour. The small peninsula juts out into the North Sea like the head of a little terrier dog. Rather apt, given the proud Fifers' fight to preserve the identity of their own 'Kingdom' when it was threatened by local government reorganization in 1975 and 1995.

As the main access route between the wild, remote Highlands and heavily populated Central Lowlands, Perthshire and Stirling have been at the very heart of the main events which have shaped the Scotland's destiny. Many of the most important battles have been fought here and the region is littered with remnants of the past.

Northeast of Stirling is the town of Perth, whose surrounding glens are dotted with numerous castles. Nearby is Scone Palace, where every Scottish king was crowned – all 42 of them. Numerous castles are scattered around the glens of Perthshire, including Blair Castle, one of the country's top attractions and home to the only legitimate private army in Britain.

The region has other attractions, not least of which is the spectacular and varied landscape, ranging from the rolling hills of Strathearn to the rugged peaks of the Grampian Mountains. There are Munros aplenty for the climbing, and in the far west of the region, on the eastern shores of Loch Lomond, is the West Highland Way, Scotland's most popular long-distance hike. There are numerous cycle trails through the forests and glens, and a long-distance cycleway runs from Glasgow, through the Trossachs and along the shores of Loch Tay to Pitlochry . There's also skiing at Glenshee, salmon fishing on the river Tay, watersports on loch Earn and golfing at glorious Gleneagles, all within easy reach of Edinburgh and Glasgow.