It is bordered by Highland and Aberdeenshire to the north, Angus, Dundee, and Fife to the east, Clackmannanshire to the south, and Stirling and Argyll and Bute to the west.

Each was administered by a sheriff from medieval times, supplemented by commissioners of supply from 1667 and then by a county council from 1890.

As established in 1975, Perth and Kinross covered the whole of Kinross-shire, and the majority of the pre-1975 Perthshire, with three exceptions: a large area in the south-west of the county which went to the new Stirling district, Muckhart which went to Clackmannan district, and Longforgan which went to the city of Dundee.

The regions and districts were abolished and replaced by unitary council areas.

[16] The Forestry Commission controls large parts of the area, which is also home to a number of hydroelectric dams.

Perth and Kinross is covered by two Scottish Parliament constituencies and one electoral region.

[22][23][24] On 18 September 2014, Perth and Kinross voted strongly "No" in the Scottish Independence Referendum, with a majority of 60.2% on a record turnout of 86.9%.

[25] On 23 June 2016, Perth and Kinross voted in favour of remain in the Brexit referendum, with a majority of 61.1% on a turnout of 73.7%.