The new Crieff and Strathearn Museum was given a VIP seal of approval this week when it welcomed former MP Rory Stewart.
The popular podcast host, whose family home is near Crieff, visited with his wife Shoshana on Tuesday.
The couple met trustees and guests and toured the exhibits in Crieff Town Hall, before Mr Stewart declared the museum officially open.
The launch of the attraction earlier this month follows years of work by the Crieff and Strathearn Museum Trust.
It contains treasures, such as the old stocks and mercat cross, as well as artefacts which tell the stories of the people who have lived and worked in the area for centuries.
Ann McIntosh, who chairs the trust, says Mr Stewart was impressed with all the group has achieved.
“He spent a lot of time looking around and speaking to everyone, then made a little speech,” she said.
“He has lived and worked all over the world. But Crieff has always been very important to him, and we were delighted to have him here.”
Crieff at core of Rory Stewart’s journey
Rory and Shoshana Stewart were married in Crieff in 2012.
The father-of-two served in the Black Watch and was a tutor for Princes William and Harry while he was at Oxford.
His book describing his 36-day solo walk across Afghanistan, The Places In Between, was a New York Times best-seller.
He was made an OBE for his services as a governor of post-war Iraq.
And in 2019, he came close to changing the face of British political history when he ran against Boris Johnson for the leadership of the Conservative Party.
He now co-hosts The Rest is Politics podcast with Alastair Campbell.
Crieff museum part of town’s bright future
Ann said the museum had been attracting about 50 visitors a day since it opened.
It is currently open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-4pm, and on Sundays from noon-3pm.
The team are hoping to extend the hours soon.
In its time Crieff has been a seat of justice, a drovers town and a popular visitor destination.
The area also has important links to the Romans, the Picts and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The museum was recently listed among the top 10 projects likely to transform Crieff’s fortunes, along with the Drummond Arms regeneration and plans for a new Crieff cinema.
Conversation