The Pride Of Perth
Uncover the geography of Scotland in the Fair City
ON the busy Perth High Street sits a brass statue of a woman permanently perched on a bench. Her story is well known to any local, but visitors may wonder about the significance of The Fair Maid of Perth. Her house still stands, tucked away down a small wynd, and is now home to a visitor centre that offers the history of the city and much more.
The Fair Maid’s House is the oldest secular building in the city and is home to the headquarters of The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. The Fair Maid herself was in fact the titular character from a novel by Sir Walter Scott in his famous Waverley series, and he picked this house as her home in the novel.
The building dates from 1474 and was altered slightly in 1893 to better suit the description in Scott’s novel, but the building also has another claim to fame – without alteration or embellishment.
In 1437 King James I was brutally murdered in the Blackfriars’ Monastery. The monastery has long since disappeared, but one wall remains – incorporated into the Fair Maid’s House.
The Royal Scottish Geographical society restored and expanded the house in 2010 and have put it to excellent use. It is now an education, information and exhibition centre, and a hidden historical gem.
Not only do they cover the tale of The Fair Lady and the history of Perth itself, but they also have a fascinating exhibition on objects and areas of geographical significance.
For enthusiasts and academics there are rooms of fascinating curiosities such as rare photos and diaries of early polar exploration or some of the first Scottish scientific illustrations.
The interactive and eye-catching displays of the Earth room offer an astronaut’s view of the globe in 3D. In the education room you can learn all about the extremes of the world, from the freezing Arctic to scorching Sahara.
Finally, in the Explorers’ Room you can investigate a number of weird and wonderful maps or curl up with a book, where all good explorations start!