Are you a big fan of outdoor adventures? Meeting furry friends? Outdoor thrillseekers and amblers are spoilt for choice in this region.
Dundee
Enjoy the perks of the city with a large dose of fresh air in Dundee. On the outskirts you’ll find sprawling Camperdown Park. Set out on the walking trails or show off your swing on the 18-hole championship golf course. An adventure playground keeps the kids smiling, along with a Wildlife Centre that’s home to wolves, lynx and ring-tailed lemurs.
Dundee is dotted with parks and open spaces for leisurely picnics, including the 37-acre Baxter Park. Home to an exciting sports complex, Caird Park is the spot for burning energy on the rugby pitches. For walking or cycling, gear up for a day on the Green Circular, a 26-mile leisure route that circumnavigates the city. You’ll weave through parkland along the riverfront and pass V&A Dundee, Discovery Point and Camperdown Wildlife Centre.
In the days before roads and cars, the fishing village of Broughty Ferry was cut off from Dundee. Now, it’s a seaside dream with sandy beaches and a colourful esplanade. Explore the streets to pop in and out of tea rooms and ice cream stores. For nature in the heart of the city, the Dundee Botanic Garden is a green wonderland of conifers and broad-leaved trees, with a tropical glasshouse for exotic plants.
Enjoy the perks of the city with a large dose of fresh air in Dundee. Dundee Botanic Garden is a green wonderland of conifers and broad-leaved trees
Angus
Pack your walking shoes to head for the hills and enjoy the beauty of Glenisla, Glen Prosen, Glen Clova and Glen Doll. The Angus Glens are crisscrossed with walking trails and cycling tracks with ample opportunities to spot wildlife along the way. You’ll find lovely rest stops for fresh, seasonal produce and a pint, like the Glen Clova Hotel.
Framed by low cliffs and woodland, the crescent-shaped beach of Lunan Bay is postcard-perfect. It attracted Viking armies in the 10th century and now sees generations of holidaymakers flocking to splash in the sea. The ruin of Red Castle overlooks the bay, which was originally built for King William of Scotland to defend against Viking invaders.
If you’re a family of animal lovers, make a beeline for Redwings Mountains at Glenogil. As the UK’s largest horse sanctuary, it houses around 2,000 horses, ponies and donkeys that roam around 220 acres of paddocks and woodland. The animals you’ll see are lovingly rehabilitated and rehomed, with education for the new owners.
Pack your walking shoes to head for the hills and enjoy the beauty of Glenisla, Glen Prosen, Glen Clova and Glen Doll
Perthshire
Start your Perthshire outdoor fun at the Scottish Crannog Centre, run by the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology. You’ll see the reconstructed crannog at the end of a log walkway, and paddle across the water in canoes. A museum displays a fascinating collection of Iron Age artefacts, with demonstrations of ancient crafts. During the warmer months, expect an action-packed programme of fun activities for families.
Heading to Highland Perthshire, Blair Castle is swathed in 700 years of history and magnificent castle gardens. Follow the Gardens Sculpture Trail and relax in the serene woodland of Diana’s Grove, where the Banvie Burn water runs and is crossed by two charming bridges. The Hercules Garden is the star of the show, as a nine-acre walled garden with a life-sized statue of Hercules, an orchard brimming with fruit trees and a Chinese bridge.
During the warmer months, expect an action-packed programme of fun activities for families, such as canoeing
Highland Perthshire is famous for salmon and trout fishing, and you’ll throw a line in the River Tay and Loch Rannoch. Or, spend the day at Kinross Activity Centre & Trout Fishery. Try fly and bait fishing before learning archery, axe throwing and air rifle target shooting. More thrills await at Wee Adventure, with everything from abseiling and tree climbing to slacklining and bush craft activities. True thrillseekers take the challenge of the River Tummel’s rapids over a 4-mile whitewater rafting course. You’ll find tours to show you the ropes, but half the fun is falling in!
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Top 10 things to do in Dundee, Angus and Perthshire