Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier

Pull in here if you’re hankering after a hot chocolate on your way through Scotland. Iain Burnett has won international awards for his chocolates, notably his smooth-as-silk Velvet Truffles, and this is his factory. You can peer into the workshop to watch the team blend Perthshire cream with cocoa imported from São Tomé to make the sensational (if pricey) chocolates in the shop.

Service in the tartan chocolate lounge is slick, friendly and slightly formal (but don’t let that put you off). Chocolate is the star here so expect to gorge yourself on the good stuff. The thick hot chocolate – an espresso-cup full of molten Velvet Truffles – is a regular crowd pleaser, and the chocolate tastings are unmissable: an audio tour from Iain himself will guide you through a flight of gourmet chocolates or the secret art of the chocolatier. Call ahead to book one of the famous Chocolate Tasting Flights.

Even non-chocolate lovers will enjoy getting off the highway to drink in the rural scenery, the sweep of the River Tay and the forest carpeting the hills behind.