Invergowrie is a village on the north bank of the River Tay

River Tay

The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...

 to the west of Dundee

Dundee

Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...

. Although formerly incorporated as part of Dundee, it is located in Perth and Kinross

Perth and Kinross

Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...

.

The old parish church, a roofless 16th century

16th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century lasted from 1501 to 1600. It is regarded by historians as the century in which the rise of the West occurred....

 building currently in poor condition, survives on a mound in the old kirkyard, by the Gowrie Burn. This site was formerly close to the sea; much land has been reclaimed from the Firth of Tay

Firth of Tay

The Firth of Tay is a firth in Scotland between the council areas of Fife, Perth and Kinross, the City of Dundee and Angus, into which Scotland's largest river in terms of flow, the River Tay, empties....

 in recent times, and it is now some way inland. This was an early Christian site, dedicated to St Curetán

Curetán

Saint Curetán was a Scoto-Pictish bishop and saint, whose floruit lay between 690 and 710. He is listed as one of the witnesses in the Cáin Adomnáin, where he is called "Curetan epscop"...

. An artistically important and well-preserved cross-slab carved on five faces from this site is on display in the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

. Dating from the early 9th century, the front shows a cross decorated with interlace, the back three stylised clerics, one holding an object which may be a charter with appended seal, above two dragon-like creatures.

This cross-slab was formerly built into a window of the medieval church, along with another smaller, damaged example, also now in Edinburgh (not on display).

A royal castle stood at Invergowrie in the reign of Edgar, King of Scotland (1097-1107), one of the erliest recorded castles in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. It long ago became ruinous, and there are no visible remains.

The village is served by Invergowrie railway station

Invergowrie railway station

Invergowrie railway station is an unstaffed halt which serves the village of Invergowrie west of the city of Dundee, Scotland on the north bank of the Firth of Tay.-See also:...

and before the coming of the railway was known as Mylnefield Feus. The name Invergowrie referred to the mansion house of that name . The village grew up around the industries of stone quarrying and paper making. Stone was shipped from the quarry piers to build harbours and piers throughout Britain including parts of the Thames Embankment and Ipswich docks. The deserted quarries and quarry ponds have become an interesting wild life area.

The Cows of Gowrie, two boulders in the Firth of Tay near Invergowrie, are said in legend to approach the land at the rate of one inch a year, such that Thomas the Rhymer

Thomas the Rhymer

Thomas Learmonth , better known as Thomas the Rhymer or True Thomas, was a 13th century Scottish laird and reputed prophet from Earlston . He is also the protagonist of the ballad "Thomas the Rhymer"...

 wrote ""When the Cows of o' Gowrie come to land/The Judgement Day is near at hand".

On 22 October 1979 a rail crash

Invergowrie rail crash

The Invergowrie rail accident happened at Invergowrie in Scotland on 22 October 1979. The accident killed 5 people and injured 51 others.-Accident:...

occurred after a warning signal was ignored resulting in the death of five people and 51 injuries.