Very close to where I went to school in Crieff are the gardens of Drummond Castle, near Muthhill. I remember them as an adolescent, but things have changed massively since those days. Garden visitors should be proud that their interest has sparked such a profitable renaissance of many of our oldest gardens, as well as the creation of newer gems.
The gardens were laid out in 1630 by John Murray, the 2nd Earl of Perth, and the parterre was changed to an Italian design in 1830. The central part of the parterre is in the form of a St Andrew's cross, with a sundial shaped like an obelisk at its heart. A gradual programme of renovation and improved maintenance since the days when I was a schoolgirl has transformed the area; the RHS now describes it as 'probably the most important formal garden in Scotland'.
To my shame, I omitted to take a picture of the copper beech that Queen Victoria planted, but there are plenty of others in the far distance to strike the Perthshire signature note adequately. The Japanese maples on the parterre are echoes for them in colour and look superb in the autumn; judging by a panoramic photo in the ticket office (entry is £5.00 per adult) October would be a superb time to visit.