Water Vennel runs from the Watergate down to Tay Street. A small plaque near its junction with Tay Street tells of its importance and gives some history of the Gowrie House whose northern boundary was formed by Water Vennel. This was an important access to the river when Gowrie House and its gardens blocked so much of the river frontage.
A stone tablet in the Tay Street flood defence wall near the viewing platform at the eastern end of High Street indicates the site of the bridge destroyed by floods in 1621.
On Tay Street just south of Queen's Bridge and opposite the Sherriff Court is Panel 1 of the Medieval Trail which explains how Perth has been a ‘Perfect Location’ since at least medieval times. This replaced an earlier information board entitled 'Harbours of Perth' also pictured. In Medieval times the harbour was approximately where the aptly named Quayside Court housing complex now stands. The channel corresponds to where Canal Street now runs.
A modern notice board on Tay Street outlines the history of the Bridges of Perth. It is Panel 3 of the Perth Medieval Trail entitled Crossing the Tay and replaces an earlier board (also pictured). A little further south along Tay Street is another board (Panel 2) entitled Soggy Feet which explains changes in the ground level of Tay Street over history.
A series of six metal plaques are set on the top of the riverside flood wall on Tay Street, just north of the viewing platform. The plaques were funded by the Guildry Incorporation and describe various elements of the civic history of Perth. The first plaque records the visit of James VI in April 1601, before he became King of the United Kingdom. It records how much he was made welcome with ‘much wine’ and ‘a banquet’ but this was less than a year since an attempt had been made on his life while he resided at Gowrie House in…
The church is situated on Tay Street, inside is a group of four War Memorials referring to those of the congregations of West Church, Middle Church and Bridgend Church who died in World War 1 and World War 2.
The plaque on the wall of 44 Tay Street marks the birthplace of the insurance company in 1885. The company moved its offices to 2 High Street in 1899. It moved to the Aviva Building in Pitheavlis in 1984 and is still based there as part of the Aviva group.
The building at number 26 Tay Street, built in 1874 to a design by Andrew Heiton Jnr, is now occupied by the Capital Asset, a Wetherspoon pub. Formerly it was the Trustee Savings Bank. The presence of the City of Perth Coat of Arms on the wall outside is a reminder of the local nature of the early bank, before various amalgamations resulted in it becoming part of a nationwide organisation. Trustee Saving Banks were set up on democratic and philanthropic principles and overseen by trustees appointed from the locality. Due to a number of bank failures, after 1871 Trustee…
A simple plaque on the Tay Steet flood defence wall commemorates the Scottish poet William Soutar. Inscribed upon one of the pillars is the second verse of ‘Aince upon a day’ one of Soutar’s best known poems. To accompany the poem, tiny sculptures of the creatures mentioned adorn the top of the wall.