Things you didn't know about... Perth

A tough job for ferrymen
Perth occupies a commanding strategic position on the mighty River Tay and today has four bridges. But between 1621 and 1771, Perth was without a bridge so ferrymen were obliged to transport goods and people across this dangerous tidal river at great personal risk.

Many of Perth's boatmen's graves can still be seen in the graveyard of Kinoull Parish Church across the river from Perth itself.

Perth does not remember Oliver Cromwell kindly
Oliver Cromwell captured Perth in 1651 and set about building a mighty citadel to guard against unruly locals. In building it, he plundered local resources.

Cromwell stripped two enormous Perth local commons (the North and South Inch) of all their turf, ruining the grazing land for local people. And he robbed up to 300 gravestones from local churches for building materials.

Perth is a big fish in the angling world
The biggest rod-landed salmon ever caught in the UK met its end in Perth. Caught by Georgina Littlejohn in 1922, it weighed 64 lbs, or nearly five stone.

Salmon fishing has always been a big deal in Perth. In Pictish and Celtic mythology, the salmon was a symbol of wisdom and those who ate its flesh would become wiser. Even today, on the first day of the salmon-fishing season, whisky is poured over the first boat while bagpipes play the fishermen out.

Forget Dundee cake—Perth has Scone
At Scone Abbey outside Perth can be found the Stone of Destiny, safely back in its rightful home after a turbulent history.

The stone was used in the coronations of Kings of Scotland and later British monarchs, after it was moved to Westminster Abbey. But in 1950 a group of protesting Scottish students stole it from the Abbey, broke it in two and smuggled it back to Scotland.

Though the police returned it to Westminster, this important Perth artefact was recognised by the British Government as belonging to the people of Scotland and it came home for good in 1996.

A lot of Blarney is talked about Scone's stone
As well as claiming that the Stone was used as a pillow in Biblical times by Jacob, it is also claimed that Robert the Bruce divided the Stone in two after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. One part stayed in Perth at Scone and the other was given to the king of Munster, Cormac MacArthur, in gratitude for Irish support. He installed it at his seat Blarney Castle—you might know it better as the Blarney Stone.