All roads lead to Perth. Just not that one...

Few things make us happier than scrolling through your submissions of places you'd love to read more about. Except for maybe traveling there ourselves! 

Now, this anonymous member — let's call them Loquacious Lars — didn't give us much to go on:

No context. No clues. Just “Perth”. 

Thus we can only assume he’s looking for the lowdown on one of the 17 (or more) places on Earth sharing that name. Minus the one with the sunshine and kangaroos, though, because we already know all about it, right?

So dear readers, I give you… Perth. Just not that one.

Perth, Scotland: The OG (Minus the Sun) 

Population: 47,000

Scotland’s former capital rarely sees the flocks of tourists that descend upon Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. A shame considering its sharp spires and streets, a blend of Gothic Revival and Georgian grandeur has been fundamental in shaping Scotland’s history. Scone Abbey was once the coronation site for all Scottish kings, including Macbeth and Robert the Bruce.

The Fair City is fiercely local, home to more than 100 independent shops, cafes, and boutiques, and has been crowned the UK’s first UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art. 

It doesn’t hurt that it sits at the gateway to the whiskey-soaked Highlands too. Those fairytale landscapes of the Cairngorms, Ben Nevis and Glencoe are all reachable in under 2 hours. 

Perth, Ontario, Canada: The One Built on Big Cheese

Population: 6,469

About an hour from Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, Perth is a town known for, well, a MAMMOTH BLOCK OF CHEESE. Why does this deserve aggressive all caps? The enormous wheel of cheddar was created in 1893 (before Kraft destroyed the craft) and took the efforts of 12 cheesemakers and 10,000 cows. 

Standing at 6ft high, the aim was to showcase Canada’s fermenting feats at Chicago’s World Fair. Transporting it to the Windy City wasn't exactly easy; at 22,000 pounds, it was so heavy it fell through the floor of the train! 

Nowadays it’s just a highway replica but worth a photo stop en route to one of Canada’s most underrated national parks: the 1000 Islands, an archipelago of over 1800 emerald islands shared with New York. 

Perth, North Dakota, USA: Six Away From A Ghost Town

Image courtesy of Andrew Filer on Flickr.

Population: 6

Deep in the prairies of North Dakota, you’ll find a rickety wooden sign posing a jarring existential question: “While on Earth, Why Not Perth?” The “o” in Not is an unnerving smiley face, reminiscent of Microsoft's clip art in the 1990s. 

Perth, North Dakota, boasts a whopping population of six, none of whom are the man in this photo. A total outsider and the entire tourism demographic for the region, if I could hazard a guess.  

Once a booming and raucous railroad community of 200 people, you’ll find more headstones here than residents now. But back in its heyday, the town boasted all the typical businesses, including a general store, a blacksmith, livery barns, a hardware store, and its very own newspaper, The Perth Journal. Impressively, the post office managed to hold on for over a century before finally closing its doors in 2003. 

Unless your hyperfocus is the type that compels you to visit places around the world with the same name, there's absolutely no reason to visit this Perth. Except perhaps if you're really into turtles. 

Perth, Jamaica: Coffee, Spuds, and a Whole Lotta Fog. 

Image courtesy of Kevin on Flickr

Population: 20,000 (and growing).

Forget sun-baked beaches; this Perth sits in the mist-shrouded mountains of south-central Jamaica right on the outskirts of Mandeville (pictured above).

And while the country is synonymous with sugarcane, the high elevation and cooler climate made it impossible to cultivate. In its place grew one of the world’s most sought-after coffees: Jamaican High Mountain Coffee, often fetching $50-$100+ a pound. 

Perth also was part of the region that introduced the very first Irish potatoes to the island in 1902.

 Today the area's rolling green hills have been transformed into Perth Estate, a rapidly growing upscale residential community known for sprawling modern homes and a fondness for looking at fog. 

So there you have it, Lars. Four distinct flavors of Perth, none of which involve Vegemite or budgie smugglers. 

There are more where these came from, of course, so please, dear readers, let us know all about your chosen Perths. And just in case it was that Perth Lars was looking for, please drop your tips for the Antipodean alternative below!

Oh, and don't forget to send us a postcard of the mega cheddar.