Discover Inchture: Cultural History and Landscape

When looking for a hotel in Inchture, you can plan your trip around the area’s historical themes. Inchture brings together archaeological evidence, churches with different building histories and a designed landscape. Its history spans prehistoric and medieval settlement traces as well as the landscape and architectural history of the 19th century. You can decide in advance whether to focus on early settlement, church history or the landscape. These themes offer different ways to explore the history of the area.

Archaeological traces and a Pictish cross-slab

Mains of Inchture is an archaeological highlight. The site includes enclosures and settlement remains from prehistoric and medieval times. Together, these features offer an exceptionally rare opportunity to trace the development of rural settlements from prehistory to the Middle Ages. The site’s special value lies in this long time span: you can focus on several periods in the history of rural settlement rather than considering just one date. This provides a clear thematic thread for travellers interested in archaeology.

A single Pictish cross-slab offers a more specific focus in time. It is located in Kinnaird Mausoleum, the former Rossie Church in the parish of Inchture, and probably dates from the 8th or 9th century AD. The slab bears symbols. Unlike at Mains, this is a specific object that can be placed within a narrower time period. Thus, a broad view of rural settlement history and a single Pictish artefact offer different historical perspectives.

Church history and designed landscape

Rossie Church tells a different story of architectural change. The medieval parish church was abandoned in 1670 and rebuilt around 1870 as a memorial chapel. The church contains several unsigned marble monuments and busts from the late 19th century, all created by William Brodie. Inchture Parish Church was rebuilt in 1835; its main structure may incorporate parts of the medieval church. At Rossie Church, abandonment and rebuilding define the sequence of events, while at Inchture Parish Church the rebuilding coincides with the possible presence of older building fabric.

The landscape offers its own historical perspective. The designed landscape of Rossie Priory in the parish of Inchture was laid out between 1800 and 1833 and makes an outstanding contribution to the surrounding scenery. It dates to before the rebuilding of Inchture Parish Church in 1835. The giant sequoias in Inchture Park are more than 160 years old. Together, these offer two different perspectives: the dated design of a landscape and the age of trees in a specific location.

Plan your bus journey

Bus routes 16/16B/16X run via Inchture on the Perth–St Madoes–Errol–Longforgan–Dundee route. If you plan to use this connection, check the latest departure times before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Bridge Of Cally, Morenish, Fowlis Wester, Pitlochry, Aberargie, Stanley, Coupar Angus, Braco.

For the broader travel overview: Perth And Kinross.