Perth or Pitlochry for 2 night stay in early May?

Pitlochry would be my choice as it has a lot more character than Perth which I've always found boring...

What other places are you staying in? The reason I ask is that Pitlochry and Perth are two very different types of places, so it would help to know where else you are planning to stay besides Edinburgh and Inverness. Pitlochry is a town with many ancient standing stones, circles and other sites, whereas Perth is a city with a castle and other multiple attractions. So a lot depends on whether you prefer smaller towns with a lot of history or a larger place like Perth.

For what it's worth, Perth will probably give you more choices with accommodations and restaurants, but Pitlochry would be more interesting (as wasleys mentioned above). You might want to check with your group to see which kind of place they prefer.

Full disclosure: I have not been to either place but have been to Scotland and have driven near that area.

I stayed in Pitlochry when I was in Scotland for five weeks this past spring. It's a nice town, and if you like hiking, there's a fabulous and easy trail starting at the dam and going around Loch Faskally: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/salmon-ladder.shtml

For a longer hike, still easy, you can do this one: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/linn-of-tummel.shtml. It actually connects with the other one; you do a kind of figure eight. This is described in the links.

If you don't like hiking, you can take an easy day trip from Pitlochry to Dunkeld and Birnham. Or stay in Dunkeld instead. A beautiful, partly ruined cathedral, a delightful town, and you can see a famous tree referenced in Macbeth.

The salmon ladder was always the highlight of a stop in Pitlochry for me as a youngster. Some absolutely cracking walking around there that isn't as challenging as the places with more altitude further north.

Perth is a little boring. A nice riverside walk and a decent town centre. Friends of mine stayed in Luncarty and Stanley years ago and those are pretty little villages near Perth I enjoyed spending time in. It's good if you've got a car because there's some very scenic driving in Perthshire and over into The Trossachs.

We stayed at Northlands B&B in Pitlochry in September 2023 for two nights and would go back in a heartbeat. The breakfasts were fantastic! Our hostess suggested a driving route for our full day of touring and it was perfect for us. We did a loop that took us past the “Queen’s View”, Strath Tummel, Tummel Bridge, Fortingall, Kenmore, and the lovely town of Aberfeldy (with the Watermill book & café below it). A final treat before heading "home" for the evening was a visit to St. Mary's church (3 miles NE of Aberfeldy). There are dining and exploration suggestions on the B&B's website. We were very happy with our meal at Victoria's Restaurant. All the best with your touring!

We visited Pitlochry this past summer. We enjoyed it very much. As for an easy, enjoyable hike - "the Birks of Aberfeldy" are a short drive away.