Perth
Date of Review: 7th June 2026
RCA Reviewers: Dave & Ray
Address: Scone Palace Park, Perth, Scotland, PH2 6BB
Website: https://www.perth-races.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MusselburghRacecourse/
X: https://x.com/PerthRacecourse
Email: info@perth-races.co.uk
Phone: 01738 551597
Accommodation: https://uk.hotels.com/de10481743/hotels-near-perth-racecourse-perth-united-kingdom/
Course Information: Perth Racecourse is a right-handed, National Hunt (jumps) only turf track in the shape of an oval with a circumference of approximately 1 mile and two furlongs. It is relatively flat with no dramatic undulations or sharp bends
Aerial View – Perth Racecourse (Image credited to Google Earth)
It has 8 fences per circuit, but the water jump in front of the grandstands is not jumped on the final circuit, resulting in a very long run home after the final bend to the finishing post. This and the long, sweeping turns favour long-striding, galloping types of horses, or horses who prefer to be held up and come from behind with a powerful run to the post. The fences are generally considered to be fair and suit horses with stamina and those that can jump cleanly.
The Racecourse Advisor Guide to Perth Racecourse:
Perth Racecourse is situated 50 miles north of Edinburgh and 60 miles north of Glasgow, 20 miles west of Dundee and 2 miles north of Perth City centre.
Location Map – Perth Racecourse
The course is immediately adjacent to Scone Palace, which is one of the most significant historic sites in Scotland. It is the coronation site of many Scottish kings, including Macbeth, and the original resting place of the Stone of Destiny. It is one of the oldest racecourses in Great Britain, with horse racing in the area dating back over four centuries to 1613 during the reign of James VI.
The racecourse moved to its current location in 1908. It is also the northernmost racecourse in Great Britain. The racecourse will hold twelve fixtures between April and September each year; the most prestigious race being the Perth Gold Cup, held in early June. A very good flyover video of the racecourse can be found here: https://www.mykingdomforahorse.org/racing/perth-racecourse/
Course Access: By Road: From the south, the M90 connects directly to Perth via the Broxden interchange, from where the A9 runs north through Perth and past the course. From the north, the A9 is the principal road, connecting Inverness, Pitlochry, and the Perthshire towns to Perth.
From the east, the A85 from Dundee via Scone provides a direct route. The course is very well signposted from the main roads in the Perth area. From the city centre, follow signs for Scone and Scone Palace, and the racecourse entrance will be on the right as you approach the Palace grounds.
By Rail: Perth Railway Station is around 3 miles away from the racecourse. It is a major hub on Scotland’s rail network with regular services from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and Newcastle.
There is a shuttle bus that runs between Perth city centre (from the Concert Hall) and the racecourse. The first bus departs 15 minutes before gates open, and return services start 10 minutes before the last race and operate for around 2 hours before and after racing. Please be aware that tickets must be booked in advance, with raceday tickets priced at £5.00.
By Air: The nearest airport to Perth Racecourse is Dundee (DND) Airport, which is 16.8 miles away. Other nearby airports are Edinburgh (EDI), 31 miles away, and Glasgow (GLA), 53 miles away. Rating: 7/10.
Parking: There is a large, grassed area with free parking a short walk from the main entrance. Rating: 10/10.
Pricing: On the day of our visit, it was the Sunday of the Perth Gold Cup Day, a seven-race card that included one Class 2 race. One Class 3 race, three Class 4 races and one Class 5 race, so relatively mid to low-level racing. Tickets on the turnstiles for the Grandstand were £35.00 each. However, if booked online in advance, they were priced at £32.00. There was a £5.00 concession for OAPs and students, and again, if booked online in advance, they were £27.00. Tickets for the Picnic Enclosure on the day were £18.00 or £22.00 if booked in advance.
There were several hospitality options; however, most were sold out about three weeks before the event. The Furlong Package was available for £125.00 and included admission, a two-course meal, a tipster, and access to a private bar. The Galileo Restaurant package for £195.00 per person was also available and included admission, a three-course meal, an afternoon cheese board, a tipster, and a private bar. As this is the racecourse's main fixture of the year, in our opinion, the prices were pretty good and offered far more value for money than the tickets at our previous day's racing at Musselburgh. Rating: 7/10.
Racecard: What a nice surprise to find a complimentary racecard. We haven’t seen one of those since Redcar. The card included a warm welcome from the team and a single-page map of the facilities. There was a double-page listing all Food and drink outlets for each enclosure, but with no other details.
It was heavy on full-page adverts, with 21 pages out of the 48, as you would probably have expected, because it’s free. It had all the usual runners and rider info from Timeform, and we have to say what a great effort from Perth racecourse to provide a free racecard. It may be easier to do this for what was one of Perth's biggest meetings, as the tickets were priced slightly higher than for other meetings and were attended by large numbers. But either way, well done, Perth.
Viewing: There are two stands for the public at Perth Racecourse: The Nelson and the Club Stands. There is also the Dewhurst Stand, which is on several levels, but this is reserved for corporate hospitality racegoers and the private boxes.
The Dewhurst Stand – Perth Racecourse
The Nelson Stand, which also houses the Galileo Bar on the ground floor, is the furthest away from the winning post. The stand is not exactly large and has around 16 concrete terraced steps with several safety crash barriers. There is no seating whatsoever. Also, the roof is very small and covers only a few rows of steps at the very rear. If the weather is inclement, then you are going to get very wet.
The Nelson Stand – Perth Racecourse
The Club Stand, positioned in front of the finishing post, is bijou, to say the least. It has only 10 wooden terraced steps and virtually no roof to protect you from the elements should it be required. Also, like the Nelson Stand, this stand has no seating whatsoever, and the centre section is reserved for owners and trainers. So, the amount of space available for the paying customers is extremely limited, to say the least.
The Club Stand – Perth Racecourse
So, in terms of size and comfort, the stands are nothing to write home about. There is a large TV positioned after the winning post. Therefore, if you are in the Nelson Stand, you really have no idea of the horses' positions as they approach the winning post. Another large TV screen in front of the Nelson Stand is badly needed.
The actual viewing of the horses while they are in running is very good. The horses are out of sight for a short spell as they approach the final turn, and for a longer spell when they finish the turn and head down the home straight. Therefore, overall, the viewing experience at Perth Racecourse is somewhat of a mixed bag. Limited viewing area for paying racegoers, a distinct lack of cover on both stands, not a single seat available anywhere, and only one large TV located after the winning post. Rating: 6/10.
Parade Ring / Winners Enclosure: The Parade Ring is positioned immediately behind the Dewhurst Stand at the rear of the racecourse.
The Parade Ring & Winners Enclosure – Perth Racecourse
It is triangular in shape and relatively small. Access is available along around 60% of the perimeter because the racecourse offices and the owners' and trainers’ area are located behind it. However, there are plenty of raised viewing areas, and you can really get up close and personal when viewing the horses. The winner's enclosure is located in the parade ring on the left-hand side. Rating: 7/10.
Bookmakers / Betting Facilities: The main on-course bookmakers are located on a large concourse area directly in front of the Nelson Stand. On the day of our visit, there were around twenty-five bookies plying their trade, which was more than enough. One observation we made was a distinct lack of bookmakers in front of the Club and Dewhurst stands for some unknown reason.
The Bookmakers - Perth Racecourse
There is also a large William Hill concession located in the Galileo Bar at the back of the Nelson Stand, and any number of Tote concessions throughout the racecourse. Getting a bet on is the least of your problems here. Rating: 8/10.
Catering: Here at Racecourse Advisor, we enjoy doing “racecourse reviews” rather than restaurant reviews, and we do not pretend to be food critics. Our aim is to provide you with an overview of the culinary options and prices available at the racecourse on race days. On the day of our visit to Perth Racecourse, it must be said that the catering options available were plentiful
The first bar we encountered after entering the racecourse was The Barn. And that’s exactly what it was, a large barn with a bar in it.
The Barn - Perth Racecourse
A pint of Tennents lager and a pint of Magners Cider were £6.50 each. A selection of canned beers cost £6.00, and spirits ranged from £5.50 to £6.50, depending on your choice. Near the parade ring, farther into the racecourse, is the Bonnie Jockey Bar. A relatively small area
The Bonnie Jockey Bar - Perth Racecourse
with wooden tables and chairs, serving the same selection of drinks at the same prices as the previous bar. The largest and busiest bar on the racecourse is the Galileo Bar, situated beneath the Nelson Stand. A smart, modern-looking bar which is situated next to a large William Hill betting concession and a Tote outlet.
The Galileo Bar - Perth Racecourse
This was again serving the same selection of drinks, but also draft Guinness at £7.50 a pint and house wine or Prosecco at £6.50 a glass.
Located adjacent to the parade ring is the Champagne Piaff Bar, which is a smartish-looking outside area with tables and chairs
The Champagne Piaff Bar – Perth Racecourse
Here, a 200ml glass of Champagne was a mere £25.00, or bottles that ranged from £70.00 to £135.00 each, depending on how deep your pockets are.
As for food, the only sit-down area outside the main restaurants is Café 1613. A rustic-looking area with wooden floors, wooden tables, and chairs.
Café 1613 – Perth Racecourse
This was serving a fairly basic selection of hot and cold foods, such as breakfast rolls for £5.50. Soup of the day was £4.60, and a steak pie, a mac and cheese pie or a chicken kebab pie was the same price. A couple of pizza options at £6.00 each, a selection of sandwiches at £4.60 each, and a selection of teas and coffees. And that was about it.
There was the Paddock & Chips chippy, which is a permanent fish & chip shop, which can’t be a bad thing; however, for us, it was more than disappointing.
The Paddock & Chips – Perth Racecourse
A portion of fish & chips came in at £15.50 (ouch!), and they didn’t look much to write home about. The size of the fish was small to say the least, and they didn’t look that appetising at all. Needless to say, it wasn’t the busiest food outlet on the racecourse, that is for sure, so we gave it a swerve.
All the other food outlets on the racecourse were “Street Food” vendors, and there were plenty of them to be fair.
There was a traditional burger van knocking out a burger for £8 and a cheeseburger for £9.00. Loaded hot dogs with various fillings for £12.00. A normal portion of chips for £5.00 and a variety of loaded versions for £12.00.
There was a hog roast van selling a Brioche bun with pulled pork and all of the trimmings for £9.00 or a portion of loaded fries for £12.00.
A Salt & Chilli chicken wagon, which had a portion of the same for £12.00. A salt-and-chilli chicken burger for £10.00 and a foot-long hot dog for £9.00. There was also a Greek Gyros van, a Pimm’s bar, and an ice cream van.
Overall, a good selection of catering outlets, but a distinct shortage of places where you could actually sit down and eat your food. In our opinion, the prices at the chippy and some of the street food vendors were very much on the high side. Rating: 7/10.
Guinness Standard: Draft Guinness was available at several bars on the racecourse for £7.50 per pint, which, in our opinion, is expensive. Also, it was served in those flimsy plastic cups where you need at least two together to be able to pick it up. That said, it was more than a decent pint of the black stuff, nicely chilled with a creamy head. Excellent! Rating: 7/10.
Friendliness of Course Staff: Plenty of course staff were available, who were very polite and very helpful. There was also a good number of litter pickers on patrol, which is always good to see. Rating: 9/10.
Pros & Cons: The pros are the free racecard, easy access to the racecourse by car, pricing, parking, and the variety of catering options. The cons are small grandstands, no seats, very little cover, and relatively high pricing at the catering outlets. Rating: 6/10
As always, here at Racecourse Advisor, we ask ourselves at the end of each review: would we return? The answer is yes; we would. It is more than a decent racecourse, with the pros outweighing the cons, and if you are this far north and fancy a day at the races, this is the place for you.
Overall Racecourse Advisor Rating: 7.4/10.
Wi-Fi/Internet Connection: A reliable, free Wi-Fi connection is available at the racecourse. You only need to agree to the terms and conditions, and with one click, you are online immediately. That is a very refreshing change. Well done, Perth Racecourse!
The entire day's racing results can be found here: https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/meeting/2026-06-07/perth/119302
Facilities and Location Map of Perth Racecourse (image credited to The Perth Racecourse Company)
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