Lady’s Guide to Things to Do in Auchterarder, Scotland

Today I want to share my guide to things to do in Auchterarder, Scotland. This town in Perth and Kinross is known for being the home of the famous Gleneagles Hotel, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

Things to Do in Auchterarder

After two days in St Andrews, I thought I would have had enough of famous Scottish golf destinations. But the opposite was true.

After exploring the seaside town, I couldn’t wait to go to the next location on my post-Hogmanay tour of Scotland and discover all the great things to do in Auchterarder.

Auchterarder is most famous for Gleneagles and its golf courses, but I wasn’t there to play 18 holes. I was there to relax after a week of intrepid traveling throughout Scotland.

Ten of us remained in the country after celebrating Hogmanay in Edinburgh, taking a Scottish Highlands tour to the Isle of Skye, and going on a trip to St Andrews.

We took the train out to Gleneagles to stay at a gorgeous house in the area that was close to a lot of the best things to do in Auchterarder.

High on a hill and accessible only by a steep dirt track that ran between fields full of sheep, it was the perfect Scottish country retreat.

The house had eight bedrooms and enough common spaces to give us all room to breathe. And that’s to say nothing of the beautiful decor, swimming pool, and indoor hot tub.

For two days, we relaxed, worked, played, ate, drank and took walks in the woolly wilderness. It was the perfect way to unwind at the end of a long trip to Scotland.

But the trip didn’t end there. We still had one of the best things to do in Auchterarder left on our list: visit Gleneagles Hotel.

Built by the Caledonian Railway Company in 1924, the hotel is now a famous five-star luxury resort featuring three of the most well-known golf courses in the world.

But instead of golf, we were invited to the Gleneagles Hotel for food and drinks. After a quick tour of the rooms and spa, we settled in for a cooking demo with the head pastry chef.

As we sipped Drambuie champagne cocktails, he showed us how to make a number of Hogmanay-inspired sweet treats.

They ranged from Blairgowrie flummery to clootie dumplings. I could tell eating them would be one of my favorite things to do in Auchterarder.

After sampling the puddings and some succulent steak from the restaurant, we headed to the Gleneagles Hotel bar for Prosecco and cocktails.

I had a Gleneagles Rob Roy, a Manhattan made with Johnnie Walker Gold. It was a fitting way to celebrate the end of my tour of Scotland and one of its most famous hotels.

But nothing gold can stay, or so said the American poet Robert Frost. And this Californian had to travel home to London.

Leaving Gleneagles was not my favorite part of the trip, but I’d seen so many of Scotland’s highlights and enjoyed so many great things to do in Auchterarder that I couldn’t be too sad to take the train south.

And with Scotland so close, I have no excuse to stay away from Auchterarder for too long. Maybe I’ll even learn to play golf in time for my next visit.

Or maybe I’ll just focus on the food and the spa. They’re my favorite things to do in Auchterarder, after all.

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