Alba Bella

Alba Bella sits just outside Blairgowrie, a contemporary gallery that punches above its weight for a small Perthshire town. It's the sort of place you stumble upon rather than plan for - a proper working space where you can actually see what's being made, not just what's been finished and framed.

The gallery focuses on contemporary Scottish art and craft, with rotating exhibitions that lean towards painting, printmaking, and ceramics. Most visits take between 45 minutes and an hour and a half, depending on how deeply you engage. The space itself is intimate rather than grand, which means it avoids that slightly sterile gallery feel you sometimes get.

It works brilliantly if you're the sort of person who likes original art without the pretension - folk who'd rather chat to makers about their process than read someone else's interpretation off a wall. Families with older kids who aren't glued to screens will find it interesting enough, though it's not really geared toward under-tens.

If you're based at Blairgowrie Holiday Park - just half a mile away - it's an easy walk into town, and Alba Bella becomes a natural stop between a proper breakfast and lunch somewhere on the main drag. The Five Roads and Corriefodly parks are also within easy driving distance, making it a decent diversion on a rainy afternoon. Check opening hours before you go though - like many independent galleries, it keeps variable times and the website information isn't always current.