Comrie (/ˈkʌmri/;[2] Gaelic: Cuimridh; Pictish: Aberlednock; Latin: Victoria) is a village and parish in the southern Highlands of Scotland, towards the western end of the Strathearn district of Perth and Kinross, 7 mi (11 km) west of Crieff.

Comrie lies within the registration county of Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) and the Perth and Kinross local council area.

Due to its position astride the Highland Boundary Fault, Comrie undergoes frequent earth tremors and has an old nickname of "Shaky Toun/Toon" (Scots) or 'Am Baile Critheanach' (Gaelic).

In AD 79, the Roman General Agricola chose what are now the outskirts of Comrie as the site for a fort and temporary marching camp, due to the area's strategic position on the southern fringe of the Highlands.

It is one of the line of so-called "Glen blocking" forts running from Drumquhassle to Stracathro and including the legionary fortress of Inchtuthil.

Cattle destined for the markets of the Scottish Lowlands and ultimately England would be driven south from their grazing areas in the Highlands.

Over the years the village has grown to incorporate many smaller satellite settlements, including The Ross (Gaelic: An Ros) a small settlement to the west of the village contained within a river peninsula (An Ros literally translates as peninsula) which became more accessible when the Ross Bridge was constructed in 1792.

Comrie underwent something of a renaissance in the early 19th century and Victorian periods as an attractive location for wealthy residents and visitors, an image which has been maintained to this day.

Comrie's mountainous setting with abundant streams and lochs brought a number of hydro-electric power plants into the area in the earlier 20th century.

The White Church, the former parish kirk, is Comrie's most striking building, with a prominent tower and spire by the roadside of the ancient churchyard at the heart of the village.

Comrie is also graced by a little-known Charles Rennie Mackintosh building, a shop in the main street with a first floor corner turret built in a version of the Scottish vernacular style (not visible in the above illustration).

Some of the buildings and homes in the village date back centuries, with many traditional Highland cottages built in dry-stone and/or clay and originally roofed in thatch.

For the most part, however, the main quadrants of the village house Victorian and Edwardian buildings, including many large detached villas and small terraces.

A granite obelisk atop Dùn Mòr (English: Great Hill) to the north commemorates Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville.

The trail begins in the village, at Laggan Park (Gaelic: An Làgan Mòr – The Great Basin) and ascends through a native forest of pines, oak, elm, ash rowan, alder and beech to Glen Lednock.

From there Dùn Mòr and the Monument are easily reached, offering unparalleled views across Strathearn and further west to the central Highlands.

A swift descent (or ascent depending on the route chosen) leads through a long, steep, wooded gorge containing the impressive De'il's Cauldron.

It became infamous after anti-Nazi German POW Wolfgang Rosterg was lynched there by fellow inmates, who were hanged after the war for the act.

A countdown to midnight is usually held at Melville Square and after the processions people gather here again for traditional Scottish music and dancing.

The Comrie Fortnight started in the late 1960s and has evolved over the years, now consisting of a wide range of activities including competitions, outings, dances and a float parade.

The decline of Gaelic in the area can be attributed largely to The Highland Clearances (Scottish Gaelic: Fuadach nan Gàidheal) in the 18th and 19th centuries, which saw people in the smaller satellite settlements of the village (located in the surrounding mountains and glens) forcibly displaced from their homes, and many forced to emigrate to Canada, Australasia and North America.

In addition, the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872 led to generations of Gaels forbidden from speaking their native language in the classroom, and punished for doing so.