Perth Museum gets five stars from VisitScotland

Perth Museum has today revealed that the visitor attraction has been awarded five stars by the national tourism body, VisitScotland.

Perth Museum was described as ‘hard to fault’ by VisitScotland and praised for its staff friendliness and hospitality, cleanliness, catering, retail, and overall visitor experience.

Perth Museum is the new home of The Stone of Destiny and Perth and Kinross’s Recognised Collections of National Significance.

Since opening on 30 March 2024, it has already welcomed more than 50,000 visitors through its doors. Funded by a £10m UK Government investment through the Tay Cities Region Deal and by Perth and Kinross Council; Perth Museum is a £27m transformation of the former Edwardian City Hall building.

This latest award follows on the back of a flurry of other accolades since the Museum opened, including a 5-star review from The Guardian, a 4-star review from The Times, and BBC Culture Editor Katie Razzall describing the venue as ‘the perfect-sized museum’. Stone, the Perth Museum café, was also awarded Taste Our Best status recognising its focus on providing and promoting locally-sourced, high-quality food and drink.

In a similar vein, the Museum and graphic design firm Tangent have been shortlisted in 3 categories for this year’s Scottish Design Awards, including Design Excellence for the Perth Museum brand, best Civic Brand Identity, and best Campaign Design for the Unicorn exhibition.

Helen Smout, Chief Executive of Culture Perth and Kinross, the charity responsible for operating Perth Museum, said “We are absolutely thrilled to be awarded five stars by VisitScotland. This award is a true reflection of the dedication and hard work put in by our visitor experience team in the museum and the staff in our café ‘Stone’. To be recognised by VisitScotland within our first month of opening is an amazing achievement and we’re delighted to join the ranks of other five-star attractions across Perth and Kinross, such as Scone Palace, Stanley Mills and The Black Watch Castle & Museum.”

Caroline Warburton, Destination Development Director for VisitScotland added “The opening of Perth Museum was an historic milestone, and it has, quite rightly, already established itself as a must-visit attraction. We have worked with the Perth Museum team throughout the attraction’s development, providing advice and guidance on delivering a high-quality visitor experience. It is clear from the reviews and comments so far that Perth Museum has hit the mark.

“The Stone of Destiny may be the crowning jewel in the collection, but it is the entire experience, from the welcoming staff to the interpretation and presentation of the fascinating exhibits, that is making the museum such a success.

“Investment in attractions and the visitor experience is key to being a world-class destination and boosting the local visitor economy. The development of the museum has not only shone an international spotlight on the city but on Scotland as a whole.”

Perth Museum is open 7 days a week, from 10am to 5pm, with late opening to 7pm on Thursdays. Admission to the Museum and to view the Stone of Destiny is free. The Museum’s temporary exhibition, Unicorn, costs £10/£8 concession and is free for under 10s.