This is what James Square was built for ...

James Square has always been where Crieff gathers.

Laid out in 1731 by James Drummond, the 3rd Duke of Perth, the Square was built to

Credit: Local & Family History Collection, AK Bell Library

revitalise a town that had been burned to the ground in 1716. It was an act of civic ambition. Rob Roy MacGregor gathered crowds here in 1714. Bonnie Prince Charlie held his final council of war on the Square's Drummond Arms Hotel. The Murray Fountain at its centre has marked the town's milestones for nearly 300 years.

Every stone has a story.

On 13th, 14th and 15th August, the Crieff Summer Festival brings the community back to James Square for the second year running. This is what the Square was designed for.

What Experience Crieff actually does

Experience Crieff is the destination brand for Crieff and Strathearn. Its job is to shine a light on what makes this part of Perthshire worth visiting - the food scene, the landscape, the history, the independent businesses, the events.

When Experience Crieff puts on the Summer Festival in James Square, it's not just programming three days of entertainment. It's saying - this is the kind of town we are. This is what happens here. This is worth a visit.

Bringing the community back to the High Street

Events like the Summer Festival do something that marketing alone cannot. They bring the community itself back to the heart of the town. They create moments of shared pride and collective enjoyment that belong to the people who live here as much as to anyone travelling in.

A town that feels alive for its own residents is a town that visitors want to spend time in. The two things are not in competition. They reinforce each other.

Last year the Summer Festival drew visitors from across Scotland alongside the local community. The event was free. The economic benefit to the town was not. People who came for the festival ate in the restaurants, browsed the shops, stayed overnight. A free event in a town square is never really free for the town - it is an investment in the community and the visitor economy that pays back in footfall, spend and reputation.

Why the format changed this year

The first Crieff Summer Festival ran for nine days, but the feedback from the community was clear. People wanted a concentrated weekend they could commit to. They wanted the music in the evenings so they could finish work and still be there.

That is what the 2026 festival is. Three days, Thursday to Saturday, built around those requests. The activities in the afternoons for families. The music from 5pm so the working day is not a barrier. It's a small example of something that matters more broadly - an organisation listening to its community and adjusting accordingly. The festival belongs to Crieff. Experience Crieff is just the one putting up the stage.

The bigger picture

The Summer Festival is one of several events that Experience Crieff is building across

the year, each one rooted in the same belief - that this town has a story worth telling across every season.

The Crieff Food Festival runs from 10th to 18th October, bringing an artisan food and drink market, chef demonstrations, tastings, events in local businesses and a cook-off finale in James Square. The Crieff Christmas Festival runs through December with late night shopping events and Scotland's only Santa's Post Office. And in April 2027, Scotland's Tartan Festival arrives for the first time.

Each event gives people a reason to visit at a time of year they might not otherwise have considered and builds, year by year, the reputation of Crieff as a destination with genuine depth and ambition.

This year's festival - the detail

The Crieff Summer Festival takes place on 13th, 14th and 15th August in James Square. Everything is free.

Thursday 13th August

Live music from 5pm: Midnight Wild and John Paul Mason, then Comrie Pipe Band from 7pm.

Friday 14th August

Family activities from 1pm: Remake Disco Forest Treasures, KG Dance Workshop and Beach Party with DNA Kids. Live music from 5pm: Nigel Gatherer & Friends, Scoogz and John Coletta and his Musical Puppet Extravaganza.

Saturday 15th August

Family activities from 1pm: Studio Arts Kids Workshop, Jamie the Jester's Magic Show and Princess & Superheroes Party with DNA Kids. Live music from 5pm: Black Sugar Rose and The Erratics. Face painting runs all day on both Friday and Saturday.

Some sessions are already sold out or nearly full. Free tickets at experiencecrieff.co.uk/events.

The Crieff Highland Gathering follows on Sunday 16th August at Market Park. Tickets at crieffhighlandgathering.com.

Planning your visit

James Square is in the centre of Crieff, less than an hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Hotels and B&Bs: Crieff Hydro, Murraypark Hotel, Comely Bank Guesthouse, Leven House, Merlindale, The Meadow Inn, The Tower and The Coorie Inn in nearby Muthill.

Camping and glamping: Comrie Croft, with Nordic katas, mountain bike trails and an outdoor sauna on a 230-acre estate. Also Culdees Castle, Innerpeffray Yurts and Braidhaugh Holiday Park.

Self catering: A wide range of properties across Crieff and Strathearn. Full list at experiencecrieff.co.uk/stay.

Full programme and tickets at experiencecrieff.co.uk/events.

Experience Crieff: it's yours to discover.