Earlier this month, The Sunday Times unveiled its Best Places guide for 2023 and named Dunkeld as the 'Best Place to Live in Scotland'.
Beating out the likes of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the small town in Perth and Kinross was singled out for its "stunning Highland scenery and chic Scandi-style sophistication". The publication also praised Dunkeld's "countless walks" and "community spirit".
With such high praise, we had to find out what all the fuss was about. So, on Thursday, Tourism Writer Alexander Smail headed to Dunkeld to spend a day in the town speaking to locals to learn exactly why it is Scotland's "best place to live". Here's how he got on.
Leaving Edinburgh at around 8.30am, my train arrived at the Dunkeld & Birnam station at just after 10am. Dunkeld is situated very close to the village of Birnam, and I had to walk through the latter to reach it.
As I got closer to the town, I came to the Dunkeld Bridge. This historic seven-arch structure was built between 1805 and 1809, and crosses over the River Tay.
Walking over the bridge to get to Dunkeld, I was treated to some spectacular views across the river. While grey clouds covered much of the sky, patches of blue were poking through and I was able to snap a great picture.
Once I crossed the bridge, I was at last in Dunkeld. My first impressions of the town were very positive, with many shops and cafés greeting me as I walked along Bridge Street and Atholl Street.
One of the most famous sights in Dunkeld is that of the Atholl Memorial Fountain. This impressive monument, which was erected in 1866, makes for a perfect central feature.
After taking some time to admire the fountain, I wandered into the nearby Dunkeld Community Archive. If you want to learn more about the town and its history, this is the place to do it.
Home to all kinds of historical memorabilia and photographs, my favourite part of the centre was its interactive display that I could have spent hours playing around with. I also learned a lot about Niel Gow, the most famous Scottish fiddler of the eighteenth century whose compositions are still played today at ceilidhs and country dances across the country.
While at the Community Archive, I was able to speak with Imogen Bell, 23, who is an assistant there. Though she lives in Perth, she has volunteered at the small museum for around a year, stating that Dunkeld is "really lovely" and that she "would move here if [she] could".
Imogen added: "I think it's really nice [that Dunkeld was named the best place to live in Scotland]. I think it is a really lovely place, it's just quite hard to actually move here if you aren't retired.
"It's really expensive and there are a lot of tourists coming, as well as part-time holiday lets. So there's not as much local accommodation, especially affordable stuff."
After this, I was in the mood to take in even more of Dunkeld's history. Following a very short walk, I had arrived at the magnificent Dunkeld Cathedral.
Standing on the banks of the river, the historic place of worship dates all the way back to 1260. While partly in ruins, the architecture is nonetheless breathtaking, being a unique mix of Gothic and Norman design elements.
The cathedral is open to the public—and even hosts services every Sunday—and I was able to have a look around inside when things were quiet. Being the only person in the building was a somewhat surreal experience, and I particularly loved the stained glass window.
By now, I was needing some refuelling, so I headed to The Scottish Deli on Atholl Street. Having first opened as a village grocer’s shop in 1809, it has been a fixture of the community ever since—operating today as both a shop and café during the day and a tapas restaurant and wine bar at night.
While drinking my delicious cappuccino, I was able to speak with managing director of The Scottish Deli Jane Saba and learn more about the deli and the town itself. She has lived in Dunkeld for 13 years, and said the town has changed massively since she first moved here.
Jane said: "It was a bit like a ghost town, and over the last 10 years it has completely transformed because of the number of shops that have upped the game and the number of people that have brought something else to the experience.
"We've got a massive diversity in both people that have been born and bred here and people like myself, and there's a real mixture of generations as well because Dunkeld is not only a great place to come and visit for all the shops and galleries, but we're also surrounded by hills and trails for walking.
"Both Dunkeld and Birnham are fabulous places for outdoor activities. And the scenery as well, you've got the river running right the way through.
"We've also got a really strong community, I'm proud to say I'm from Dunkeld. I've never felt unwelcome as an outsider coming in, and I think that's what's really special about this place—locals are very welcoming."
Regarding Dunkeld being named the top place to live by The Sunday Times, Jane had mixed thoughts. Echoing what Imogen said before, she told me: "There's a lot of holidaymakers and a lot of people buying holiday homes, which is great, but also adds to some problems because the local people struggle to buy properties.
"It's fabulous and it will draw more visitors, which is great for all businesses. It's a double-edged sword."
After finishing up my drink, I wanted to see another aspect of Dunkeld that The Sunday Times singled out: its walks. While I didn't have time to see all of the sights, the nearby Hermitage was mentioned by name so I had to experience it for myself.
I finally made it to the entrance of the forest after around 20 minutes of walking. Even from my first steps on the walk, I was blown away by its natural beauty.
The Hermitage was originally originally designed as a pleasure ground in the 18th century for the Dukes of Atholl, and it is not hard to see why. With massive Douglas Firs stretching up as far as my eyes could see, and the crashing sounds of the River Braan in the background, it was the perfect place to take a breather.
One of the main highlights of The Hermitage is Ossian's Hall of Mirrors—a Georgian viewing platform built in the 1750s that features mirrors, sliding panels, and paintings, as well as views of the majestic Black Linn Falls. Unfortunately, the structure was closed when I went to see it, though was impressive from the outside regardless.
Making my way back into town, I had by this point worked up quite an appetite. I headed in to a café called The Clootie Dumpling to enjoy the traditional Scottish dessert it is named after.
A Clootie Dumpling is steamed Scottish pudding, made with dried fruit and spices. With the café's particular recipe being handed down from co-owner Mike Cairney's mother, it is no surprise that it was absolutely delicious—warm and aromatic and perfect with whipped cream.
I was able to speak with Mike, 58, as well as his wife and fellow co-owner Jacinta, while I enjoyed my food. They told me that, while they are relative newcomers in terms of actually working in Dunkeld—with The Clootie Dumpling only opening at the start of 2020—they have long enjoyed visiting the town.
Mike said: "It's great actually being here, it's such a nice community. We've really been accepted by the locals, it's a really good spot.
"I lived in England for 30 years and actually came back here to open this business, just because Dunkeld is such a fabulous place. I used to come walking with my mum, it was one of the places we would always come to."
Jacinta added: "For years, we had been looking for a place and Dunkeld was always a place that we loved to come to with Mike's mum. It being named the best place to live is scary really, I hope it is not going to be too overrun because I think it is just special."
After finishing up my delicious clootie dumpling, I had a couple more stops I wanted to make before my time in Dunkeld came to an end. Another thing about the town that The Sunday Times praised was LÒN, which it called "possibly the hippest general store in Scotland", so I made my way over.
Run by ex-Great British Bake-off contestant Flora Shedden, the stylish shop is situated on the High Street and sells everything from eggs to candles to flowers. If you are looking for some miscellaneous trinkets and goodies for your home, it is a must-visit.
I was fortunate enough to speak with Madeleine Cooper, 33, who was working in the shop when I went in. Having been working in Dunkeld for a year, she is a relative newcomer, but told me it used to be a "quieter town" and there has been "a shift in the independent stores that have opened up".
Speaking about Dunkeld topping the Best Places to Live 2023 guide, she continued: "It's not surprising. It's such a good place to be, really good people live here, it's vibrant, and the people who live here actually care about the community.
"We already know it's the best place to live, but it just makes it harder for locals to find houses because so many people come here to buy holiday homes so it's a major issue."
Before I left Dunkeld, I had to check out Flora Shedden's other business, ARAN Bakery, which has stood on Atholl Street since 2017. The bakery is small but pretty inside, and unsurprisingly is full of delicious treats.
While I wish I could have sampled everything, I settled on taking home a loaf of the bakery's signature sourdough bread. I have since eaten more than half of it already.
With my day in Dunkeld at an end, I headed back over the bridge towards the train station. On my way back, I was able to make one final stop in Birnham: the Beatrix Potter Garden.
While most often associated with the Lake District in England, Potter spent many of her childhood summers at Dunkeld, which were hugely influential on her life and career. In honour of the children's author's work, there are numerous sculptures of her characters—including Mr Tod the Fox, Mrs Tiggy Winkle in hers, and Mr Jeremy Fisher.
Altogether, Dunkeld is a true hidden gem and, like the people who live there, I hope it remains so despite its newfound fame.
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