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Surrounded by fertile agricultural land and beautiful scenery, PERTH was for several centuries Scotland's capital. During the reign of James I, Parliament met here on several occasions, but its glory was short-lived: the king was murdered in the town's Dominican priory in 1437 by the traitorous Sir Robert Graham. Despite decline in the seventeenth century, the community expanded in the eighteenth and has prospered ever since; today the whisky and insurance trades employ significant numbers, and Perth remains an important and bustling market town.
The Town and around
Perth's compact centre occupies a small area on the west bank of the Tay. Two large areas of green parkland, known as the North and South Inch, flank the centre. The North Inch was the site of the Battle of the Clans in 1396, in which thirty men from each of the clans Chattan and Quhele (pronounced "kay") clashed, while the South Inch was the public meeting-place for witch-burning in the seventeenth century. Both are now used for more civilized public recreation, with sports matches to the north, and boating and putting to the south.
A good variety of shops line High Street and South Street , as well as filling St John's shopping centre on King Edward Street. Opposite the entrance to the centre, the imposing City Hall is used by Scotland's politicians for party conferences. Behind here lies the solid and attractive St John's Kirk (Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 12.30-2pm, except during services; free), surrounded by cobbled lanes and cafés. It was founded by David I in 1126, although the present building dates from the fifteenth century and was restored to house a war memorial chapel designed by Robert Lorimer in 1923-28.
The Art Gallery and Museum , 78 George St (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; free), another of Perth's grand buildings, has exhibits on local history, art, natural history, archeology and whisky, and gives a good overview of local life through the centuries. From here, a five-minute stroll south along the paved path between Tay Street and the river brings you to the corner of Marshall Place and a round Victorian water tower with ornate Neoclassical flourishes. This is the unlikely setting for the excellent Fergusson Gallery (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; free), which holds a collection of the paintings, drawings and sculpture of J.D. Fergusson, the foremost artist of the Scottish Colourist movement.
Perth Ice Rink, in the Dewar's Centre, Glasgow Road, is one of the best places in the country to watch a game of curling , a winter sport popular in Scotland, Canada and northern Europe but little-known elsewhere.
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