Day 27: Perth

A slower day today as I have several numerology analyses to catch up on, so a half day sightseeing.

Perth is so green! All this Scottish drizzle means that mature beautiful trees and the acres of parkland and open spaces are just wonderful. I parked outside the city and followed a cycle path under a bridge into the centre.

 

The museum is well presented and the exhibitions carefully selected so that each item stands out, instead of overwhelming the eye with quantity. Original vintage Caithness glass and the local schools art exhibition were particularly eye catching.

I loved the piece about a the largest Salmon evercaught on the River Tay. It was caught by Miss Georgina Ballentine on 7th October 1922 at a whopping 64lbs. Well done that girl!!

It was taken to Perth, weighed, photographed and a local taxidermy firm made a plaster cast of it before the local hospital turned it into fish and chips for staff and patients. The cast is in the museum

The new theatre is just 11 years old...

It's Glassroom cafe is open all day and does great soup, as well as coffee and cake. Perth is nearing the end of its art festival, so the only thing they still had tickets for while I am here is a powerful musical piece set during World War one. It's about three young men who were executed for cowardice. However, it is performed at dawn, literally 2.15am, and in a barn on a farm with nowhere to park. One has to get into Perth (I am in Forgandenny, a village 7 miles on the outskirts) and catch the coach. Such a pity. I would have loved to have seen it. It's just the kind of production my daughter Freya is so brilliant at directing. With a bit of luck it may tour to Brighton later in the year. Look out for it: The 306:Dawn by National Theatre of Scotland with Red Note theatre.

There is an older Edwardian Theatre in the town and funds are being raised to restore it to its former glory.

Three times since arriving in Scotland I've heard bagpipes playing the tune "There was a soldier, a Scottish soldier..." so I also went to visit the Black Watch Museum. Its in a small castle, Balhousie, and is full of items significant to the regiment's history, right up to recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are  shortly hosting a ceramic poppy installation, similar to the event at the Tower of London last year.

And that's it for today. Time to do some work!