Away Day Guide: St. Johnstone - what to do, where to drink & what to expect!

Getting there

Trains from the north-east take just over three hours with a change at Edinburgh, the stadium is then a further three miles from the station, so unless you’re an adventurer, I’d recommend driving.

Getting to McDiarmid Park fairly straightforward. Follow the A9 towards Perth and then on reaching Perth continue towards Inverness.

The stadium is on the western edge of the city and is easily accessible from both the bypass and surrounding streets. Access to the stadium is off Crieff Road so if you are in town, follow the signs for Crieff and you will see find it on the right hand side just before Tesco.

There’s plenty of parking around the stadium with room for well over 1,000 cars so it is very rare for there not be to space. Parking costs £5.

Pubs

One of the most popular public houses is The 208 outside of the ground on Creiff Road which welcomes both home and away fans, whereas The Glover Arms is also another cracking proper Scottish boozer - as Frankie Boyle attested, don’t ask for a lager and lime though, cocktails don’t exist in Scotland.

However, I’d recommend the city centre, as there are at least a dozen potential watering holes with The Foundry, The Sandeman and Royal Bar all brilliant old fashioned bars. Perth has some amazing scenery and is easily one of the best looking places in Scotland, so if you fancy a more picturesque pint The Capital Asset and Greyfriars Bar overlook the River Tay with a decent selection of ale to boot.

What else can I do?

Loads! Perthshire is a lovely place, even if it’s not somewhere you’d class as a traditional away day. Visit The Black Watch Castle before seeing a new look Sunderland resemble a Championship version of Brazil stroll around McDiarmid Park. It is the pick of things to do and is located on Hay Street. It dates back to 1631 and in 1962, the castle became the Regimental Headquarters and Museum of The Black Watch. The latter displays history of the regiment from 1739 to the present.

Kinnoull Hill is also quite breathtaking, giving you the type of scenery you thought only existed in Braveheart for cinematic effect. Built in 1829 by Lord Grey of Kinfauns as a romantic folly, the tower was used as an observatory. It’s intended to resemble the castles on the Rhine in Germany as Grey saw a great similarity between the River Tay and parts of the Rhine. The tower is easily accessible via a footpath and the views are some of the best in Scotland.

Perhaps a strange suggestion, but the best haircut I’ve ever had was in Perth at Badlands Barber Co. located on South Methaven Street. If you’re wanting to look sharp to take home a wee Scottish lassie, a haircut at Badlands will guarantee it.

Tom Jervis/Wikipedia

The Stadium

We are likely to be housed in the Ormond Stand that can fit in approximately 2,000 away fans. Built in the late 1980s, McDiarmid Park is fairly standard and very similar to most grounds you see in the SPL.

It has a capacity of 10,000 and consists of four single tiered stands, all covered and all seated. Three of the stands are of the same height, but the Main Stand is a little taller which gives it a slightly odd look, but overall it’s best described as 'compact'.

A really lovely little city, dripping in medieval history. If you have a full weekend free, I’d highly recommend taking in the whole weekend and enjoying everything Perth has to offer.

Tickets

Tickets are priced at £15 for adults, over-65s and under-19s tickets are only £8 while children under-13 go for free when accompanied by an adult.

Tickets can be bought via safc.com, on the gate or via St. Johnstone's ticket office.