The Salutation Hotel...

The Salutation Hotel is a well known establishment in Perth.  More on that later :-)

I woke just after 6am.  I seem to have developed a pattern of waking between 6.00-6.30am but I'm not complaining as I feel wide awake and refreshed and getting up by 7am means I get the best of the day :-)

As I was eating my rice crispies I noticed on Instagram that there was a Summer Design Market taking place at Mill Street Plaza in Perth, and inside the museum and art gallery from 10.30am - 4.00pm.  The info stated there would be 25 artists and makers from across the region including photographers, ceramists, sculpture, paintings to name a few.  Well that all sounded like my cup of char :-)

We got there at midday and spent a very pleasant hour going round the different exhibitors.  The first exhibitor we stopped at I could easily have bought everything she had to sell (well cost aside :-) but we were sensible and went round everyone first before deciding what to buy.  

Back at the first exhibiter we bought two of her images and some cards before returning to three more exhibitors for more purchases.  Unfortunately I can't give any more specific into as the majority of the purchases were bought with Christmas (yes I dared mention the word!  :-)) in mind.

Pleased with our little bundle of goodies and the fact we'd supported local artists and crafters, we headed to Cafe Kisa for a very lovely lunch.

Afterwards we had a wander round Perth city centre.  So sad to see so many shop units empty.  There's a fair few jewellers though and I was able to offer a subtle hint about a necklace in one and a certain wedding anniversary coming up in August.  Let's see if anything comes of that ;-))) 

On the way back to the car David spotted a garden furniture set in a well known Perth furniture store window.  We've been looking for a new table and chairs for ages and haven't been able to find what we were looking for (well we did one time in Dobbies but they were charging an absolute fortune.  I refuse to pay more for garden furniture than I would for indoor furniture!)  

We popped in just to "have a look."  No need to say how that story ended!  Well it was exactly what we've been looking for AND it was in the sale with 25% off.  

So what started off as a mooch around some local artist's stalls ended up a rather expensive day out!  

Delivery of the garden furniture is due next week so you know who to blame for the weeks of rain that will no doubt follow ;-)))

As we meandered round the centre of Perth I was annoyed I hadn't taken the Canon with me as the architecture is amazing.  I will go back with photography in mind but for now it's a quick snap of The Salutation Hotel.  It has quite a history.

It is a Category B listed building dating to around 1810, with earlier embellishments and later alterations. 

The earliest building recorded on this site was a private house belonging to the Murray family. It operated as a coaching inn between 1699 and 1745, and was a resting point on the coach roads from Edinburgh and Glasgow to the south to Aberdeen and Inverness to the north. The current street elevation was constructed in the early 19th century, at which time the Venetian window was added by Sir Robert Reid, the King's architect in Scotland.

On 31 December 1745, a belated 25th birthday party for Bonnie Prince Charlie was held at the hotel.The building's facade has distinctive painted Black Watch figures.

Inside, in room number 20, a stone fireplace is dated 1699. In the courtyard, to the rear, there is a stone dated 1619 bearing arms of the Earl of Moray.

David Bowie played a show at the hotel, in the Moncreiffe Suite, on 7 November 1969. The Beatles have also stayed at the hotel.[4]

Info courtesy of Wiki :-))