Dunkeld Scotland

Dunkeld Accommodation Guide - quality accommodation in Dunkeld for holiday or business travel. Scotlands Dunkeld accommodation options include hotels, lodges, guest houses, camping, bed and breakfast and self catering accommodation including holiday homes and apartment rentals. Whatever your Scottish Dunkeld accommodation requirements we will help you find the right place.

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Dunkeld and Birnam are two small neighbouring towns of great character, situated on opposite banks of the River Tay twelve miles north of Perth, amidst some of the finest woodlands in Scotland. The name Dunkeld comes from the Gaelic for "the fort in the wood".

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Places to stay in and around Dunkeld

Hotels and Inns

Atholl Arms Hotel
Dunkeld House Hotel
Hilton Dunkeld House Hotel
Royal Dunkeld Hotel

Bed & Breakfast - Guesthouse

Hatton Grange
Upper Hatton

Self Catering and Cottages

19 New Lawn
City Hall Apartments
Country Retreats
Golden Pond
Inch Cottage

Inchtuthill Coachhouse
Kinnaird Estate

Laighwood Holidays
Lairds Inn Court
No 6B Cathedral Street
Pinegrove Cottage
Tomnagairn Cottage
Wester Caputh House

Camping Caravan Hostel

Inver Mill Farm Caravan Park
Stanley Nairne Centre

 

Welcome to Dunkeld Scotland

The main Street Dunkeld The name Dunkeld comes from the Gaelic for "the fort in the wood". Dunkeld became the religious centre of Scotland when St Columba's relics were moved here from Iona for safe keeping from increasing Viking raids.

Dunkeld was proclaimed the first ecclesiastical capital of Scotland by Scotland's first king, Kenneth MacAlpin, and the majestic ruin of the cathedral dominates the town. The Atholl Memorial fountain at the centre of The Cross in Dunkeld was erected in 1866 in memory of the 6th Duke of Atholl. Dunkeld Cathedral stands on lawns that sweep down to the River Tay and houses the tomb of the notorious 'Wolf of Badenoch'.

National Trust owns the brightly coloured 'little houses' of Dunkeld were built in the early 1700s and the Ell Shop featuring the original 'ell' measure, just over a metre long, used for measuring cloth.

A riverside path provides excellent views of Thomas Telford's Dunkeld Bridge.

On the outskirts of Dunkeld, the Loch of the Lowes nature reserve is home to breeding osprey. 'Big Tree Country' is all around, and Dunkeld and Birnam have an excellent local walks network covering 36 miles of waymarked paths.

Accommodation in and around Dunkeld

Price Guide - per person based on sharing room: under $40 - $41 - 70 - more than $70

Pinegrove Cottage
Dunkeld Dunkeld accommodation
Pinegrove is a delightful cosy cottage. Traditionally built, the cottages has been refurbished with pretty fabrics and stylish furniture has created wonderful holiday accommodation that has a real country cottage feel whilst being fresh, bright and modern.

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Inver Mill Farm Caravan Park Dunkeld Places to stay in Dunkeld
They are located in a very tranquil setting beside the River Braan in a scenic and beautiful part of Perthshire. It was here that carriages changed their horses. Dunkeld is 1 mile away (15 minute walk) and has a number of wonderful tourist attractions nearby.
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Hatton Grange
Dunkeld Hotels in Dunkeld
Quality Bed And Breakfast. Situated in a beautiful forest glen just outside the picturesque village of Dunkeld, Hatton Grange boasts quality Bed and Breakfast accomodation to the highest standard, private bathrooms and full Scottish breakfast.
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Inch Cottage
Dunkeld Scotland Vacation
Its location makes Inch Cottage an ideal base for touring and is within easy reach of Dunkeld, the area provides excellent opportunities for walking, golf, fishing, climbing, bird watching (The Ospreys at the Loch of Lowes) and all other outdoor activities.
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Inchtuthill Coachhouse
Dunkeld Dunkeld accommodation
An ideal spot to relax and enjoy some peace and quiet. Converted in recent years from an old barn, it is detached with the accommodation on the upper floor and storage rooms beneath so is very private.

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Upper Hatton
Dunkeld Places to stay in Dunkeld
They are a mile from lovely, historic Dunkeld, the ancient ecclesiastical capital of Scotland, surrounded by hills and through which flows the mighty River Tay, famous for its salmon and riverside walks.
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Tomnagairn Cottage
Dunkeld Hotels in Dunkeld
Surrounded by hills and stunning views, Tomnagairn is a very comfortable stone cottage on a working farm. Sleeping four in one double and one twin bedroom. This is the place where you could take the whole family.
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Hilton Dunkeld House Hotel Dunkeld Scotland Vacation
Hilton Dunkeld House hotel, situated on the banks of the River Tay in 280 acres of picturesque Perthshire countryside. The Hilton Dunkeld House Hotel is just over an hours drive from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
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Kinnaird Estate
Dunkeld Dunkeld accommodation
Self Catering Cottages on Kinnaird Estate which overlooks the River Tay in Highland Perthshire, Scotland. Their five attractive self-catering cottages, each with its own unique character
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Country Retreats
Dunkeld Places to stay in Dunkeld
Scandinavian traditional log cabin in secluded, peaceful, woodland setting. Take a break from the crowds. Listen to the tumbling stream and the birdsong. Only 4 miles from Dunkeld, 8 miles from Blairgowrie.
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City Hall Apartments
Dunkeld Hotels in Dunkeld
In the ancient Cathedral City of Dunkeld, the upper floors of the former City Hall have been converted into two luxury apartments with TV, DVD, hi-fi, central heating and log-effect stove. Children are welcome.
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19 New Lawn
Birnam, Dunkeld Scotland Vacation
Their Brand New compact lodge 19 New Lawn is the perfect base for a family holiday or short break at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands.The Lodge sleeps 4 and is situated on the Erigmore Estate.
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Atholl Arms Hotel
Dunkeld Dunkeld accommodation
Situated in the Historical Cathedral City of Dunkeld, The Atholl Arms, a three star small hotel built in 1833, is an impressive structure with many original features and a private seated garden on the River Tay.

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No 6B Cathedral Street
Dunkeld Places to stay in Dunkeld
6B Cathedral Street is enchanting & elegant ground floor apartment for two in the heart of Dunkeld's delightful medieval centre, surrounded by the Cathedral, River Tay and National Trust for Scotland's 'Little Houses'.
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Royal Dunkeld Hotel
Dunkeld Hotels in Dunkeld
The Royal Dunkeld Hotel, a former Coaching Inn is now a modern comfortable hotel. All the bedrooms at the Royal Dunkeld Hotel boast ensuite facilities, colour television, radio, hospitality tray, hairdryer, trouser press
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Stanley Nairne Centre
Dunkeld Scotland Vacation
It is an ideal base for outdoor activities, group exercises and training courses. Great for youth groups. There are 2 main meeting rooms, the dining room and lounge are useful for a wide range of programmes for youth groups
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Lairds Inn Court
Dunkeld Dunkeld accommodation
Lairds Inn Court is a beautiful self catering apartment and enjoys a prime central location in the heart of the ancient cathedral city of Dunkeld.
Pets and children are welcome too.
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Golden Pond
Dunkeld Places to stay in Dunkeld
This Scandinavian log cabin is nestled in 3 acres of countryside in the Atholl Estates, close to the Loch of the Lowes Nature Reserve and surrounded by breathtaking scenery of lochs and glens.
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Wester Caputh House
Dunkeld Hotels in Dunkeld
Wester Caputh House is a large, south facing self-catering farmhouse in beautiful Perthshire. You can find them in the peaceful village of Caputh, 4 miles east of Dunkeld on the River Tay.
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Laighwood Holidays
Dunkeld Scotland Vacation
Situated in the heart of glorious Perthshire and surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world, Laighwood offers a selection of self-catering holiday cottages for those who enjoy the freedom
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Dunkeld's fortunes up to 1560 were closely linked with those of the Cathedral it served: so the destruction wrought by the Reformation that year was a huge setback for the village as well. It also robbed the village of a bridge over the River Tay, planned at the time, following years of promises by the Bishops.

The Perth Arms in High Street


Bridge Street


Dunkeld Cathedral


The Ell Measure

After the Reformation the village's story is distinct from that of the Cathedral, part of which was reused as the parish church. Scotland's first brick house, Dunkeld House, was built here in 1680; and a post office opened in the village in 1689.

However, little of what you see today in Dunkeld is earlier than 1689. The accession of William and Mary to the throne of Scotland in March 1689 (see our Historical Timeline) was followed in July by the first of a series of Jacobite uprisings. The Jacobites defeated Government forces at Killiecrankie, a few miles north of Dunkeld, in July: though with the loss of their leader, Viscount Dundee.

The remains of the Government forces retreated to Dunkeld where by mid-August they totalled around 1000 men, including reinforcements from the Cameronian Regiment who had marched from Doune near Stirling.

At first light on 21 August 1689 they were attacked by 4000 Jacobites. For sixteen hours the battle raged through the village from house to house. By 11pm the remaining Government forces, now confined to defensive positions around the Cathedral, were on the verge of defeat when the Jacobites withdrew. This was not the end of the first Jacobite uprising, but it was the beginning of the end of it. Only three houses in the village had not been destroyed in the fighting.

Dunkeld did eventually gain a bridge linking it with Birnam on the far side of the River Tay. This was in 1809, when the ubiquitous Thomas Telford produced the solid seven arched structure that is still used today.

Today's Dunkeld is a lovely village of largely whitewashed shops, cottages and hotels. A great deal of work was done in the 1950s and 1960s by the National Trust for Scotland and the Local Authority to restore many of the older buildings in Cathedral Street and around the Cross. The results amply repay the effort. A highlight at the junction of Cathedral Street is the Ell House. This takes its name from the measure on its outside wall of the length of an "Ell", a length of 39 inches used as a reference for market trading. The Ell House is now the National Trust shop in Dunkeld. The nearby broadening of the road, known as The Cross, is home to the Atholl Memorial Fountain.

The main road, Bridge Street, extends from the bridge at one end through the built up area of the village, running in effect from the strikingly white Atholl Arms Hotel overlooking the bridge to the equally strikingly white Royal Dunkeld Hotel. This street is lined with a fascinating collection of shops, and about half way along it intersects High Street, leading to The Cross and the Cathedral beyond.