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Sat 13 Jun
Doss | Auditorium
19:00 - 23:00
Doors Open 19:00
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Sat 13 Jun
Doss | Auditorium
19:00 - 23:00
Doors Open 19:00
The Beatrix Potter™ Garden Trail is a celebration of Beatrix’s connection to Perthshire, where the timeless tales and talents of Beatrix Potter began to germinate. Part of the Beatrix Potter™ Perthshire Experience at Birnam Arts, the trail is a space where gardens, wildlife, art, science, history and imagination all come together.
Young Beatrix Potter thrived in the invigorating natural environment of Perthshire’s countryside. It is only fitting that the Scottish chapter of her story be told outside in the open air. After all, it was nature — every living thing from rabbits and caterpillars to fungi and lichen — that captured her interest and inspired her art.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The Beatrix Potter™ Garden Trail greets visitors with an engaging menagerie of sculptures and educational signage woven into a formal landscape of established trees, flowering shrubs and lush greenery. Each stop along the trail helps tell a story that connects the lives and landscapes of Perthshire to the life and works of the beloved children’s author and self-taught naturalist Beatrix Potter.
Cultural Heritage Landscape
The garden’s history stretches back to 1992, when the original garden was designed and created by members of Perth and Kinross Council Planning and Leisure and Recreation Departments (lead designer Michael Messenger) and a local steering group. The design included accessible footpaths, clay pavers, benches, grassy areas, a stone-walled garden, a pavilion, numerous established birch trees, flowering shrubs and other planting. It also featured a dry pond for drainage that made a perfect place for a certain frog named Jeremy.
Original bronze animal sculptures crafted and installed by Scottish sculptor David Annand, a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, reflect the raw wildlife that fascinated Beatrix Potter. An alert fox, a hedgehog in hiding and five playful hares all blend discretely into the natural setting. Annand’s intricate bespoke archway adorns one of the garden entrances.
Old Meets New
Today, the Beatrix Potter™ Garden is an outdoor experience which is open 24/7 and free to the public inspired by the beloved author’s deep connection to the local landscape and its natural history. In 2026, the garden was enhanced by acclaimed trail company Brilliant Trails in conjunction with the Birnam Arts teamwith funding from the Scottish Government Place Based Investment Fund, Perth and Kinross Council’s Community Environment Challenge Fund and a sculpture of Jemima Puddleduck commissioned by The Ironmonger’s Company. The trail adjoins the Birnam Arts building and engaging activity books for children and self-guided tour books around the trail, exhibition and building can be purchased separately or are included in the admission price for the Beatrix Potter Perthshire Experience. The new Garden Trail is part of a wider licensed partnership with Penguin Ventures on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd (an imprint of Penguin Random House Children’s UK and owner of the Peter Rabbit™ brand).
The Garden is owned and managed by Perth & Kinross Council.
Box Office
Open periodically throughout the week | Book online 24/7
Cafe
Daily | 10 - 4
Welcome to Birnam Arts, a boutique multi-purpose arts, conferencing and entertainment venue.
Pop in to the Foyer Cafe for breakfast, grab a delicious coffee with a selection of our homemade baking or enjoy a light lunch whilst browsing on the free WiFi. Wander upstairs to view the latest of our monthly art exhibitions before visiting the world of Beatrix Potter, or the Gift Shop to purchase a special gift for your loved ones or yourself!
This is a lovely light and welcoming building with a cafe and library during the day and some really excellent concerts and shows of all genres mostly in the evening. It's an intimate space but with capacity for several hundred people and tends to be competitively priced. It relies on volunteer support and is an excellent community hub.
Katharine Preedy | Google Reviews
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You really are the heart of our community and we can’t afford to lose you. Thank you to everyone working so hard to protect our village treasure.
Cave Family | Crowdfunder #savebirnamarts 2020
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