Why you must visit this European town at least once in your life

Ancient lore and the great outdoors reward a pit stop in this unsung place.

Anticipation levels are mounting as we wait for our turn to glimpse the fabled Stone of Destiny. An ancient symbol of Scotland's monarchy, it was seized by King Edward I of England in the late 13th century and remained south of the border and hidden from public view for the best part of 700 years. Now it's the star attraction of the new $50 million Perth Museum, which occupies a handsome neoclassical building that was the city hall and later a venue for gigs by the Kinks and the Who.

A charming wee city perched by the River Tay, Perth is only an hour by road and rail from Edinburgh and Glasgow, but while travellers may have previously skipped it on their way to the Scottish Highlands, it's an increasingly appealing pit stop. The Stone of Destiny boosts Perth's allure, of course, and the fact that it's shrouded in an oak-clad pavilion in the museum's former auditorium enhances the mystique. So does the security. Ahead of our time-slotted entry to the pavilion, we're asked not to snap photographs of the stone. Oh, and could we please take off our coats, too?

I'm struggling to imagine anyone - even the next Harry Houdini or the world's strongest man - being able to magic or smuggle out a 150kg oblong block of sandstone beneath their jacket, especially as it's locked in a glass case with CCTV cameras pointed at it. But the pavilion's audio-video displays reveal the significance of this locally-quarried stone, and how it has been sought after and damaged over the centuries. After featuring in coronations of Scottish kings at Scone Palace, just outside Perth, it became part of the coronation chair at Westminster Abbey following its capture by the English.

We watch black-and-white news footage from 1950, when four students from Glasgow carried out a dramatic heist, temporarily returning the stone north of the border. Taken back to London the following year, it was officially returned to Scotland in 1996 - and displayed at Edinburgh Castle - although it was briefly in Westminster again for last year's crowning of King Charles III. The stone's mythology and symbolism are compelling, but there are more visually impressive exhibits at this admission-free museum, from contemporary textile banners woven with Perth's history to a 3000-year-old Bronze Age logboat pulled out of the Tay, Scotland's longest river.

While this Perth lacks the sun, sea and sensational beaches of its Western Australian namesake - the climate is more like Perth in northern Tasmania - it has a similarly outdoorsy vibe, buoyed by its gorgeous Tayside location. Leafy parks and sculpture trails hug the riversides and kayaking and standup paddle boarding afford stirring views. Tours, timed to coincide with favourable tides, are offered at Willowgate Activity Centre, a charity-run operator with a trout and salmon fishery just south of the city.

We kayak upstream, guided by Ian, an affable Scot who's alert to every sudden movement, every twitching branch, sharing his rich ken (knowledge) of the Tay's nature and heritage. Explaining that Perth flourished as a medieval trading hub at the river's lowest bridging point, he soon has us admiring cormorants, grey herons, sparrowhawks and buzzards - and a swimming beaver that pops its head above the water. Drifting along, we admire lush grassy hillsides crawling with sheep and the jagged escarpment of Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park, a haven for hikers.

We're told the tree-tufted riverbanks change colour with the seasons, from spring blossoms to fiery autumnal hues. "Even in winter, you sometimes get these lovely cold, crisp mornings when there's not a breath of wind and it's beautiful," says Ian. "You really feel like you're deep in the countryside, then all of a sudden you round a bend and there are the church spires of Perth right ahead."

This kayaking tour whets my appetite for more adventures in rural Perthshire - where Queen Victoria honeymooned - but it also leaves me peckish.

Fortunately, there are pleasant refuelling spots in Perth's walkable core, including The Bothy, a bistro that does spritely cocktails and inventive modern Scottish dishes like seafood crumble - salmon, prawn, haddock and cod, topped with cheddar crumb smoked on the island of Arran.

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I'd also recommend North Port, a restaurant tucked inside an 18th-century cottage by Perth Concert Hall. After a classic starter of haggis, neeps and tatties, I enjoy its melt-in-the-mouth Black Isle beef cheek, served with parsnip, kale and roast shallots. Just as delicious is dessert: whipped Knockraich crowdie, a mascarpone-esque curd cheese with bramble sorbet and granola.

North Port has a decent wine list, but I'm enamoured by the local craft ale, especially the hoppy IPA. They tell me it's from Cullach, a microbrewery on nearby Princes Street, a stone's throw from the river. A regular small stone, mind you.

Getting there: Qatar Airways flies to Edinburgh from Sydney and Melbourne via Doha.

Getting around: Perth has hourly direct trains to/from Edinburgh, although a hire car is handy for exploring the Perthshire countryside. scotrail.co.uk

Staying there: Set in a converted 1840s mansion by South Inch park, Perths Parklands Hotel has double rooms with breakfast from about $190. theparklandshotel.com

Explore more: perthcityandtowns.co.uk; visitscotland.com

The writer was a guest of Visit Scotland.