ABOUT ALYTH
Alyth is a small and friendly town just off the road from Blairgowrie to Kirriemuir. It sits in the rolling foothills of the Grampian Mountains, adjacent to the delightful Forest of Alyth where late medieval Scottish kings hunted during their progress around the country.
Alyth was first mentioned by William of Lyon in the 12th Century royal charter, although stories of Queen Guinevere being imprisoned at Barry Hill Fort by the Pictish 5th Century King Mordred are rife.
In 1488, James III of Scotland granted Alyth the status of Burgh of Barony, permitting the town to stage markets and fairs enabling the town to attract highland farmers to come to Alyth, using the long-established Drove roads, to sell cattle in the market town.
The Packhorse Bridge was built around 1500 to further enable crossing of the Alyth Burn.
Alyth grew again through the creation of the textile trade, whose mill production peaked in 1861 when the railway was established.
Today Alyth boasts the Hill of Alyth, the Jubilee Park and the Den O’ Alyth as main attractions while the market square remains the heart of the town. The Alyth market was re-established very successfully in 2022, and the town continues to develop as a flourishing town for artists and a growing tourism economy.
