Montrose, Angus
Encyclopedia
Montrose is a coastal resort
town and former royal burgh
in Angus
, Scotland
. It is situated 38 miles (61 km) north of Dundee
between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers. It is the northernmost coastal town in Angus and developed at a natural harbour that traded in skins, hides and cured salmon in medieval times.
With a population of approximately 12,000, the town functions as a port, but the major employer is GlaxoSmithKline
, recently saved from closure. The skyline of Montrose is dominated by the 220 feet (67.1 m) steeple
, designed by James Gillespie Graham
and built between 1832 and 1834.
Montrose is a town with a wealth of architecture, and is a centre for international trade. It is an important commercial port for the thriving oil and gas industry. It is known for its wide thoroughfare and high street which
leads to picturesque closes containing secluded gardens. The town has a view of a two square mile tidal lagoon, Montrose Basin
, which is considered a nature reserve of international importance. It is the largest inland salt water basin in the UK, and an important habitat for the mute swan. Just outside Montrose is the 18th Century House of Dun
, designed by the Scottish architect William Adam and built in 1730 for David Erskine, 13th Laird of Dun.
located to the north. One ancient name for Montrose was Celurca. Early place names appear to show the presence of a Norse
settlement in the area of the present harbour. The Norse settlement was named Stroma which translates as 'Tide race river', referring to the speed of the tidal emptying and filling of the aforementioned basin, (est 9 Knots). It is claimed that the name Montrose stems from 'Mouth Hrossay' due to the location at the outlets of the River Esk
near Rossie Island (Norse: horse island). However the etymology is more often attributed to the gaelic words Monadh (meaning moor) and Rois or Ros (meaning peninsula or promontory). The first documentary evidence of the existence of Montrose is the burgh charter issued by David I
who founded the town around 1140 as Sallorch or Sallork. By 1178 the name had taken the form Munross before becoming Montrose. Folk etymology attributes the origin of the town's name as "Mount of Roses". This is reflected by the motto on the town's seal: Marie ditat, rosa decorat.
. In the year 980
it was sacked and razed to the ground. It was once believed that a castle existed in Montrose in the 10th century and was destroyed by Kenneth III. However the historicity of this account has been disputed.
In the two proceeding centuries there are no precise dates in its history. During the 1140s it was an important trading town. The trading revenues received from Montrose as well as Forfar
and Dundee
were acquired by Malcolm IV and contributed to Restenneth Priory
. In 1178 William the Lion built a castle nearby in which he would occasionally reside. The ruins have acquired the name Red Castle. The last record of a charter there was in 1198. A convent
dedicated to the Virgin Mary is said to have been founded in 1230 by Alan Durward
but the precise location is unknown. In 1244 the town succumbed to fire.
In July 1296 during the Wars of Independence, Edward I
visited the town with 30,000 of his men and stayed at Munros castle for three nights. Some accounts state that it was there that he humiliated Scottish King John de Balliol
by publicly stripping him of his Royal insignia and status; other accounts claim that this occurred in Brechin
. Twelve burghesses of the town swore allegiance to Edward I to protect themselves and the community of the town. The following year the castle, which was manned by an English garrison, was destroyed by William Wallace
who is said to have slain all soldiers in sight. The site of the castle, known as Castlestead, is at the southern end of the High Street. David II
visited it towards the end of his reign in 1371. The Dukedom of Montrose
was created in 1488.
During the 15th century the inhabitants of the town found themselves increasingly under heel of the Lairds of Dun who ransacked and took possession of property and cattle. The lairds are said to have arrived in the middle of one night on horseback heavily armed. The burghesses of the town immediately sent out an appeal to the Duke of Montrose for protection but the messenger was purportedly murdered before the appeal arrived. It was then that James IV of Scotland
intervened and settled the matter.
. The town imported flax and timber from the Baltic
; salt, fruit and wine from France
and Portugal
. The wealth this brought to the town is demonstrated in the surviving houses built by landowning and merchant families as well as local street names of "America Street", "California Street", "Baltic Street" and "India Street" evidencing its trading heritage.
The site of the castle, now known as Castlestead was the birthplace of the famous James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
. Graham signed the National Covenant against Charles I
's reorganisation of the Kirk in Scotland, fighting in the ensuing Bishops' Wars, but later switched to the King's side only to be captured and executed in Edinburgh
in the year 1650.
The final chapter of the ill-fated 1715 Jacobite rebellion was also played out in Montrose After the short lived uprising on 4 February 1716, James Francis Edward Stuart
(the Old Pretender; formerly James, Prince of Wales) arrived in Montrose, where he spent his last night in Scotland. He sailed from Montrose to his final exile in France. The town was held for his son, Charles Edward Stuart
(Bonnie Prince Charlie; the Young Pretender), 30 years later and in February 1746 the largest naval battle of the war was fought in Montrose Harbour.
During the 18th century the town was a major smuggling
centre. It profited from the slave trade but only for a brief time. The wealth accrued by trade was substantial. Wealthy merchants in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries dominated the town and built their houses gable to gable. Hence Montrosians have inherited the sobriquet, "gable-enders". A statistical account taken between 1791 and 1799 estimates the population in the 1750s as 4248; in 1776 as 4465; in 1784 as 4866 and in 1790 as 5194. Contemporaries expected that many would emigrate at the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War
but those that did leave were few.
Samuel Johnson
made a tour of the town on his visit to Scotland in the 1770s. He said of it:
"...we travelled on to Montrose, which we surveyed in the morning and found it well-built, airy, and clean. The town house is a handsome fabrick with a portico. We then went to view the English chapel, and found it a small church, clean to a degree unknown in any other part of Scotland, with commodius galleries, and what was yet less expected, with an organ.".
Alexander Christie (c1721-1794) was provost
in the town during the 1760s and 1780s and oversaw the establishment of Scotland's first Lunatic Asylum in Montrose in 1781 which became Sunnyside Royal Hospital
.
In 1785 a subscription library
for learned men was formed.
During World War II Montrose became a hub for a constant stream of international pilots from all over the Commonwealth
, Poland
, Czechoslovakia
, America
, Russia
, France
and other allied nations.
As well as a training base Montrose was also an operational airfield for Hawker Hurricane
and Supermarine Spitfire
squadrons, which flew sorties over Norway
and were a part of the air defences for Edinburgh
.
Of course, this also made the town a target for German aircraft and it was bombed on more than one occasion. Despite its coastal location presenting a danger however, large numbers of children and young mothers from Dundee
were evacuated there during the period of the Phoney War. Initially numbers totalled around 2,000 but in a second wave around 1,200 more were sent. As was the case in many other receiving areas, the local population was concerned by the condition of the urban poor and impetigo
and vermin
were found on some of those evacuated. By June 1940 Montrose could no longer provide shelter.
Montrose was a royal burgh until 1975.
(meaning bear), famed for his exploits and popular in local imagination, is buried in the town.
Bamse the Norwegian Sea Dog arrived in Montrose on the Royal Norwegian Navy
minesweeper Thorodd during World War ll with Captain Erling Hafto, his owner, who registered him as a crew member. He saved the life of Lieutenant Commander Olav Nilsen at Dundee Docks and generally protected his fellow sailors. In stories Bamse is said to have got up on his hind legs and, at over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, clamped his great paws on assailants to end any fight. On his death in July 1944 Montrose schools were closed and 800 children lined the route to his graveside funeral.
The Bamse Project raised £50,000 to erect a larger than life-size bronze statue of Bamse at Montrose Harbour. Half the donations came from Norway. The statue was created by internationally known sculptor Alan Herriot, and was unveiled by The Duke of York
in October 2007.
), Councillor Mark Salmond (Independent), Councillor Paul Valentine (Scottish National Party
) and Councillor Sandy West (Scottish National Party
).
The town is part of the Angus constituency
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
which returns a Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons
, at Westminster
. The constituency's MP is currently Mike Weir of the Scottish National Party
.
Montrose is also part of the Angus constituency
of the Scottish Parliament
, which has significantly different boundaries to the Westminster constituency. The constituency returns a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) to Holyrood
directly, and is part of the North East Scotland electoral region
with regards to additional Members of the Scottish Parliament. The constituency's MSP is currently Andrew Welsh
of the Scottish National Party
. For the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the constituency of Angus is due to be split into two separate constituencies and Montrose will become part of the newly-formed Angus North and Mearns
.
at the mouth of the River South Esk
on the East Coast of Scotland, 11 miles (18 km) NNE
of Arbroath
, 19 miles (31 km) SW
of Stonehaven
, and 7.2 miles (12 km) ESE
of Brechin
. The town lies 62.2 miles (100 km) NNE
of Edinburgh
, and 373.2 miles (601 km) NNW
of London
. The built-up area occupies a roughly rectangular shape 2 miles (3 km) long by 0.75 miles (1 km) wide, aligned in a North-South orientation. The land is relatively flat, rising gradually to around 15m elevation
to the North of the town.
The expanse of the town extends to the villages on its fringes; Hillside
and Ferryden. It lies close to the hamlet
s of Lunan and St Cyrus
. The rural location ensures that the air quality is good, with low levels of nitrogen dioxide
and PM10.
The Montrose Basin
is a shallow estuary approximately three miles in diameter. It is situated where the River South Esk
meets the North Sea
. During the 16th century, local landowners desiring more arable land considered reducing its size, but their plans were never carried out.
In 1981 the Montrose Basin Nature Reserve was created. The Scottish Wildlife Trust operates a modern, purpose-built wildlife centre at Rossie Braes, which offers good telescopic and televisual views of the area, and of the thousands of migratory birds which pass through the area in all seasons.
In Summer, one might see the osprey
which hunts along the length of the Basin, or a kingfisher
flitting past. The artificial sand-martin bank is a hive of activity all Spring and early Summer. One can watch the blue tit
s and swallows inside their nests, and take in the panoramic vista of the rolling Angus countryside and hills.
In October and November there are 38,000 birds using the basin. In Winter, 20,000 pink-foot geese take up residence on the mudflats, feeding in the nearby fields by day, and returning to the safety of the Basin in the evening. The haunting fluting of their calls are beloved of local people, for whom the sound marks the turning of the seasons. The many feeders attract brightly coloured field and garden birds, and the occasional woodpecker.
In recent years research published by Scottish Natural Heritage
claimed that the population of greylag geese has fallen as a result of climate change
.
for its eco credentials. The surrounding Traill Pavilion and Seafront Splash! facilities with an arcade, a playground, a café and an ice-cream stall is popular amongst locals and visitors alike. North of the town the River North Esk
enters the North Sea
across the beach.
The Save our Sands Campaign (SOS) was set up on 26 March 2009 to raise awareness amidst concerns over the erosion of Montrose beach, caused by the "one million tonnes of sand, swept by the tide into the harbour...removed from the local area over the past 25 years". In 2006 150,000 tonnes was shipped to Aberdeen
to fortify its dwindling beach. This was met with opposition from Montrose Golf Links who believed that the golf course built on top of the dunes, as one of the oldest in the world, should be protected. The sand dunes are becoming unstable due to increasing tides which has forced the Montrose Golf Links to consider moving the golf course more inland. However Scottish Natural Heritage
opposes the realignment as it could affect a protected coastal site at St Cyrus
.
A film made by local broadcaster Anthony Baxter in January 2009 highlighted the issue and was designed to attract attention for urgent action and put pressure on local politicians. The group are concerned that Angus Council are not acting efficiently to halt the effects of erosion and believe a full study should be carried out. The film won the best short film category in the BFFS Community Cinema Festival in 2009. Since 2009 a team from the University of Dundee
has begun assessing the coastline around Montrose in a two year study to decide the best way of managing coastal erosion. The film titled "SOS Montrose Dredging" has been posted on YouTube
.
, after Arbroath
(22,785) and Forfar
(13,206), with Carnoustie
in fourth place (10,561).
Since the Second World War the population of Montrose has increased. The presence of Dundee families in Montrose during wartime convinced a number to settle there. This altered the demographics of the town and led to the building of housing estate
s in the 1960s. A number of people from the Polish community who had served with the British forces at RAF Montrose also settled.
There is an increasing elderly population which is reflected in the profusion of nursing and residential homes and in recent plans to extend provision for sheltered housing
. However there has been a commensurate increase in the number of immigrants in recent years, particularly from Eastern Europe
. Data published by Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics
in 2008 records the population of Montrose & District as 15,013 which is around 18% of the population of Angus
as a whole. Of this total 17.6% are children, 60% are of working age and 22% are pensioners. Around 12% of those who live in the town are unemployed and 14.1% of households are "income deprived".
has been a major source of jobs since the 1950s. Other significant employers include Tesco
, Co Operative Group, Petrofac
Merpro and Argos
. In 2009 Sainsbury's announced plans to build a new superstore on the edge of the town which will provide work for an estimated 200 people. Construction of the new Sainsburys store was approved by Angus Council in August 2011 and spoke persons from sainsburys believe the store will open in less than a year and provide at least 200 full and part time jobs for local people. BT recently upgraded the local telephone exchange to grant the town access to super fast fiberoptic broadband services one of only three towns to be chosen in Scotland. The average price of housing in the town is between £106,054 and £131,539, a rise on the 1998 average between £42,640 and £51,200.
, Dunninald and Angus Council, Ferryden & Craig and Hillside, Dun and Logie Pert community councils. Since 2002 they have produced a number of promotional leaflets and have established a weekly Saturday market in the town centre. In 2002 plans were unveiled to renovate the Mid Links. The project was completed in 2003 at the total cost of £1.8million with £1.2million granted by the Heritage Lottery Fund
. Plaques have been incorporated to inform visitors of the historical heritage of the town's buildings.
and sculpture
capital of Angus
, with over 20 statues of note scattered around the town. The statues are a mix of contemporary and classical works, with many from the noted local sculptor, William Lamb ARSA. Lamb was born in Montrose in 1893 and was an artist of exceptional talent.
In Montrose from the 1920s to 1940s, local architect George Fairweather’s studio provided a forum for lively debate by an artistic community that included Hugh MacDiarmid
, Edwin Muir
, William Lamb, Helen Cruickshank
and Fionn MacColla
.
The local weekly newspaper, the Montrose Review
, was edited by Hugh MacDiarmid
.
, which takes place each year at the end of May. Notable acts who have played at the festival include Average White Band, Deacon Blue
and The Proclaimers
.
course in the world, the Montrose Medal, dating from 1562. It is also a qualifying course for The Open Championship
. Past events hosted on the Montrose Links include:
Montrose F.C.
are members of the Scottish Football League
and currently play in the Third Division
. Montrose Roselea F.C.
are a Scottish junior football, Formed in 1930 and nicknamed "the Lea", they play their home games at Broomfield Park. Other sports associations include the Montrose Cricket Club, Montrose & District SEALS Swimming Club, Montrose & District Athletics, Rugby union club and several bowls clubs which are part of the Montrose & District Bowling Club Association.
There are many churches in Montrose. Three belong to the Church of Scotland
: Montrose Old and St Andrew's ('Auld Kirk'), Melville-South Parish Church, Dun and Hillside Church. There are two United Free Churches: Knox's Church and Ferryden Church. In the Links there is an Episcopal Church
(St Mary's and St Peter's) the United Reform Church and Methodist Church nearby. In Borrowfield there is a Baptist Church and LDS Church. A Quaker group meets in the town. The Roman Catholic community is served by St Margaret's Roman Catholic Church.
The most prominent church is the Old and St Andrew's Church, Montrose
. Reverend Dr Charles Nisbet who became minister in 1764 described it as a church which "embraced much cultivation and intelligence".
A Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses lies on the edge of the town.
from the Lintrathen and Backwater
reservoirs in Glen Isla
. Electricity distribution is by Scottish Hydro Electric plc
, part of the Scottish and Southern Energy group.
Waste management is handled by Angus Council
. There is a kerbside recycling
scheme that has been in operation since March 2005. Cans, glass, paper and plastic bottles are collected on a weekly basis. Compostable material and non-recyclable material are collected on alternate weeks. Roughly two thirds of non-recyclable material is sent to landfill
at Angus Council's site at Lochhead, Forfar and the remainder sent for incineration
(with energy recovery) outside the council area.
A recycling centre is located at Broomfield Road. Items accepted include, steel and aluminium cans, cardboard, paper, electrical equipment, engine oil, fridges and freezers, garden waste, gas bottles, glass, liquid food and drinks cartons, plastic bottles, plastic carrier bags, rubble, scrap metal, shoes and handbags, spectacles, textiles, tin foil, wood and yellow pages. Angus council publishes details of where and how each product is processed. There are also glass banks at Tesco in Western Road and Scotmid in New Wynd, as well as a neighbourhood recycling point at Wharf Street. The Angus Council area had a recycling rate of 34.7% in 2007/08.
Healthcare
is supplied in the area by NHS Tayside
. The nearest hospitals with accident and emergency departments is Arbroath Infirmary, Primary Health Care in Montrose is supplied by Townhead Medical Practice which is based at the Links Health Centre. Montrose along with the rest of Scotland is served by the Scottish Ambulance Service
.
Law enforcement is provided by Tayside Police
, and Montrose is served by Tayside Fire and Rescue Service
.
, France
- Montrose has been twinned with Luzarches since 1994.
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
town and former royal burgh
Royal burgh
A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
in Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, 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 is situated 38 miles (61 km) north 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...
between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers. It is the northernmost coastal town in Angus and developed at a natural harbour that traded in skins, hides and cured salmon in medieval times.
With a population of approximately 12,000, the town functions as a port, but the major employer is GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
, recently saved from closure. The skyline of Montrose is dominated by the 220 feet (67.1 m) steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
, designed by James Gillespie Graham
James Gillespie Graham
James Gillespie Graham was a Scottish architect, born in Dunblane. He is most notable for his work in the Scottish baronial style, as at Ayton Castle, and he worked in the Gothic Revival style, in which he was heavily influenced by the work of Augustus Pugin...
and built between 1832 and 1834.
Montrose is a town with a wealth of architecture, and is a centre for international trade. It is an important commercial port for the thriving oil and gas industry. It is known for its wide thoroughfare and high street which
leads to picturesque closes containing secluded gardens. The town has a view of a two square mile tidal lagoon, Montrose Basin
Montrose Basin
The Montrose Basin is part of the estuary of the South Esk forming a tidal basin near to the town of Montrose, Angus, on the north-east coast of Scotland....
, which is considered a nature reserve of international importance. It is the largest inland salt water basin in the UK, and an important habitat for the mute swan. Just outside Montrose is the 18th Century House of Dun
House of Dun
House of Dun, together with the adjacent Montrose Basin nature reserve, is a National Trust for Scotland property in Angus, Scotland.The Dun Estate was home to the Erskine family from 1375 until 1980. John Erskine of Dun was a key figure in the Scottish Reformation. The current house was designed...
, designed by the Scottish architect William Adam and built in 1730 for David Erskine, 13th Laird of Dun.
Toponymy and early history
Prehistoric elements are found in the vicinity of Montrose, including the Stone of MorphieStone of Morphie
The Stone of Morphie is a standing stone about 700 metres west of the Coast Highway bridge of the River North Esk and 400 metres east of the historic Mill of Morphie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Alternatively and historically, the monument is sometimes known as the Stone of Morphy...
located to the north. One ancient name for Montrose was Celurca. Early place names appear to show the presence of a Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
settlement in the area of the present harbour. The Norse settlement was named Stroma which translates as 'Tide race river', referring to the speed of the tidal emptying and filling of the aforementioned basin, (est 9 Knots). It is claimed that the name Montrose stems from 'Mouth Hrossay' due to the location at the outlets of the River Esk
River North Esk
The North Esk is a river in Angus and Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is formed by the meeting of the Water of Mark and the Water of Lee , and enters the North Sea four miles north of Montrose. It forms the boundary between Angus and Aberdeenshire at certain stages in its course...
near Rossie Island (Norse: horse island). However the etymology is more often attributed to the gaelic words Monadh (meaning moor) and Rois or Ros (meaning peninsula or promontory). The first documentary evidence of the existence of Montrose is the burgh charter issued by David I
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
who founded the town around 1140 as Sallorch or Sallork. By 1178 the name had taken the form Munross before becoming Montrose. Folk etymology attributes the origin of the town's name as "Mount of Roses". This is reflected by the motto on the town's seal: Marie ditat, rosa decorat.
Mediaeval history
Montrose was visited and plundered in numerous instances instances by DanesDanes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
. In the year 980
980
Year 980 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Otto II renounces his claim to Lorraine.* The Viking ring castle of Trelleborg is constructed in Denmark....
it was sacked and razed to the ground. It was once believed that a castle existed in Montrose in the 10th century and was destroyed by Kenneth III. However the historicity of this account has been disputed.
In the two proceeding centuries there are no precise dates in its history. During the 1140s it was an important trading town. The trading revenues received from Montrose as well as Forfar
Forfar
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
and 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...
were acquired by Malcolm IV and contributed to Restenneth Priory
Restenneth Priory
Restenneth Priory was a monastic house of Augustinian canons founded by Jedburgh Abbey, with the patronage of King Malcolm IV of Scotland, in 1153. Although there is little literary evidence, archaeological evidence strongly indicates that there was a monastery at Restenneth from very early times...
. In 1178 William the Lion built a castle nearby in which he would occasionally reside. The ruins have acquired the name Red Castle. The last record of a charter there was in 1198. A convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
dedicated to the Virgin Mary is said to have been founded in 1230 by Alan Durward
Alan Durward
Alan Hostarius was the son of Thomas de Lundin, a grandson of Gille Críst, Mormaer of Mar. His mother's name is unknown, but she was almost certainly a daughter of Máel Coluim, Mormaer of Atholl, meaning that Alan was the product of two Gaelic comital families.Alan was one of the most important...
but the precise location is unknown. In 1244 the town succumbed to fire.
In July 1296 during the Wars of Independence, Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
visited the town with 30,000 of his men and stayed at Munros castle for three nights. Some accounts state that it was there that he humiliated Scottish King John de Balliol
John de Balliol
John de Balliol was a leading figure of Scottish and Anglo-Norman life of his time. Balliol College, in Oxford, is named after him.-Life:...
by publicly stripping him of his Royal insignia and status; other accounts claim that this occurred in Brechin
Brechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
. Twelve burghesses of the town swore allegiance to Edward I to protect themselves and the community of the town. The following year the castle, which was manned by an English garrison, was destroyed by William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
who is said to have slain all soldiers in sight. The site of the castle, known as Castlestead, is at the southern end of the High Street. David II
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
visited it towards the end of his reign in 1371. The Dukedom of Montrose
Duke of Montrose
The title of Duke of Montrose was created twice in the peerage of Scotland, firstly in 1488 for David Lindsay, 5th Earl of Crawford. It was forfeited and then returned, but only for the period of the holder's lifetime...
was created in 1488.
During the 15th century the inhabitants of the town found themselves increasingly under heel of the Lairds of Dun who ransacked and took possession of property and cattle. The lairds are said to have arrived in the middle of one night on horseback heavily armed. The burghesses of the town immediately sent out an appeal to the Duke of Montrose for protection but the messenger was purportedly murdered before the appeal arrived. It was then that James IV of Scotland
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
intervened and settled the matter.
Modern history
From its early inception as a port Montrose had traded in skins, hides and cured salmon but in the 17th century began to export wheat and barley in regular trading transactions with the Hanseatic LeagueHanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
. The town imported flax and timber from the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
; salt, fruit and wine from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. The wealth this brought to the town is demonstrated in the surviving houses built by landowning and merchant families as well as local street names of "America Street", "California Street", "Baltic Street" and "India Street" evidencing its trading heritage.
The site of the castle, now known as Castlestead was the birthplace of the famous James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
. Graham signed the National Covenant against Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
's reorganisation of the Kirk in Scotland, fighting in the ensuing Bishops' Wars, but later switched to the King's side only to be captured and executed 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...
in the year 1650.
The final chapter of the ill-fated 1715 Jacobite rebellion was also played out in Montrose After the short lived uprising on 4 February 1716, James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
(the Old Pretender; formerly James, Prince of Wales) arrived in Montrose, where he spent his last night in Scotland. He sailed from Montrose to his final exile in France. The town was held for his son, Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
(Bonnie Prince Charlie; the Young Pretender), 30 years later and in February 1746 the largest naval battle of the war was fought in Montrose Harbour.
During the 18th century the town was a major smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
centre. It profited from the slave trade but only for a brief time. The wealth accrued by trade was substantial. Wealthy merchants in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries dominated the town and built their houses gable to gable. Hence Montrosians have inherited the sobriquet, "gable-enders". A statistical account taken between 1791 and 1799 estimates the population in the 1750s as 4248; in 1776 as 4465; in 1784 as 4866 and in 1790 as 5194. Contemporaries expected that many would emigrate at the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
but those that did leave were few.
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
made a tour of the town on his visit to Scotland in the 1770s. He said of it:
"...we travelled on to Montrose, which we surveyed in the morning and found it well-built, airy, and clean. The town house is a handsome fabrick with a portico. We then went to view the English chapel, and found it a small church, clean to a degree unknown in any other part of Scotland, with commodius galleries, and what was yet less expected, with an organ.".
Alexander Christie (c1721-1794) was provost
Provost (civil)
A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
in the town during the 1760s and 1780s and oversaw the establishment of Scotland's first Lunatic Asylum in Montrose in 1781 which became Sunnyside Royal Hospital
Sunnyside Royal Hospital
Sunnyside Royal Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in Hillside, north of Montrose, Scotland. The hospital was originally founded in 1781 by Susan Carnegie as Montrose Lunatic Asylum, Infirmary & Dispensary and obtained a Royal Charter in 1810...
.
In 1785 a subscription library
Subscription library
A subscription library is a library that is financed by private funds either from membership fees or endowments...
for learned men was formed.
During World War II Montrose became a hub for a constant stream of international pilots from all over the Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and other allied nations.
As well as a training base Montrose was also an operational airfield for Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
and Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
squadrons, which flew sorties over Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and were a part of the air defences for 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...
.
Of course, this also made the town a target for German aircraft and it was bombed on more than one occasion. Despite its coastal location presenting a danger however, large numbers of children and young mothers from 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...
were evacuated there during the period of the Phoney War. Initially numbers totalled around 2,000 but in a second wave around 1,200 more were sent. As was the case in many other receiving areas, the local population was concerned by the condition of the urban poor and impetigo
Impetigo
Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection most common among pre-school children. People who play close contact sports such as rugby, American football and wrestling are also susceptible, regardless of age. Impetigo is not as common in adults. The name derives from the Latin impetere...
and vermin
Vermin
Vermin is a term applied to various animal species regarded by some as pests or nuisances and especially to those associated with the carrying of disease. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included will vary from area to area and even person to person...
were found on some of those evacuated. By June 1940 Montrose could no longer provide shelter.
Montrose was a royal burgh until 1975.
Bamse
BamseBamse (St. Bernard)
Bamse was a St. Bernard that became the heroic mascot of the Free Norwegian Forces during the Second World War...
(meaning bear), famed for his exploits and popular in local imagination, is buried in the town.
Bamse the Norwegian Sea Dog arrived in Montrose on the Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
minesweeper Thorodd during World War ll with Captain Erling Hafto, his owner, who registered him as a crew member. He saved the life of Lieutenant Commander Olav Nilsen at Dundee Docks and generally protected his fellow sailors. In stories Bamse is said to have got up on his hind legs and, at over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, clamped his great paws on assailants to end any fight. On his death in July 1944 Montrose schools were closed and 800 children lined the route to his graveside funeral.
The Bamse Project raised £50,000 to erect a larger than life-size bronze statue of Bamse at Montrose Harbour. Half the donations came from Norway. The statue was created by internationally known sculptor Alan Herriot, and was unveiled by The Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
in October 2007.
Governance
Montrose is represented within Angus Council by the Montrose & District Ward, from which four councillors are elected. The members elected from this ward are, as of 2007: Councillor David May (Scottish Liberal DemocratsScottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...
), Councillor Mark Salmond (Independent), Councillor Paul Valentine (Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
) and Councillor Sandy West (Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
).
The town is part of the Angus constituency
Angus (UK Parliament constituency)
Angus is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
which returns a Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, at Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
. The constituency's MP is currently Mike Weir of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
.
Montrose is also part of the Angus constituency
Angus (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Angus is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, which has significantly different boundaries to the Westminster constituency. The constituency returns a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) to Holyrood
Holyrood, Edinburgh
Holyrood is an area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Lying east of the city centre, at the end of the Royal Mile, Holyrood was once in the separate burgh of Canongate before the expansion of Edinburgh in 1856...
directly, and is part of the North East Scotland electoral region
North East Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
North East Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
with regards to additional Members of the Scottish Parliament. The constituency's MSP is currently Andrew Welsh
Andrew Welsh (politician)
Andrew Paton Welsh is a Scottish politician. He was educated at Govan High School and Glasgow University.Andrew Welsh was the Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for the House of Commons constituencies of South Angus from 1974 to 1979, East Angus from 1987 to 1997 and Angus from 1997 to...
of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
. For the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the constituency of Angus is due to be split into two separate constituencies and Montrose will become part of the newly-formed Angus North and Mearns
Angus North and Mearns (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Angus North and Mearns is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
.
Geography and natural features
Montrose occupies a position on the North Bank of Montrose BasinMontrose Basin
The Montrose Basin is part of the estuary of the South Esk forming a tidal basin near to the town of Montrose, Angus, on the north-east coast of Scotland....
at the mouth of the River South Esk
River South Esk
The South Esk is a river in Angus, Scotland. It goes past Brechin and enters the North Sea at Montrose Basin. It was noted in the 19th century.-References:...
on the East Coast of Scotland, 11 miles (18 km) NNE
Boxing the compass
Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two points of the compass in clockwise order. Such names are formed by the initials of the cardinal directions and their intermediate ordinal directions, and are very handy to refer to a heading in a general or colloquial fashion, without...
of Arbroath
Arbroath
Arbroath or Aberbrothock is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus in Scotland, and has a population of 22,785...
, 19 miles (31 km) SW
Boxing the compass
Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two points of the compass in clockwise order. Such names are formed by the initials of the cardinal directions and their intermediate ordinal directions, and are very handy to refer to a heading in a general or colloquial fashion, without...
of Stonehaven
Stonehaven
Stonehaven is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies on Scotland's northeast coast and had a population of 9,577 in 2001 census.Stonehaven, county town of Kincardineshire, grew around an Iron Age fishing village, now the "Auld Toon" , and expanded inland from the seaside...
, and 7.2 miles (12 km) ESE
Boxing the compass
Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two points of the compass in clockwise order. Such names are formed by the initials of the cardinal directions and their intermediate ordinal directions, and are very handy to refer to a heading in a general or colloquial fashion, without...
of Brechin
Brechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
. The town lies 62.2 miles (100 km) NNE
Boxing the compass
Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two points of the compass in clockwise order. Such names are formed by the initials of the cardinal directions and their intermediate ordinal directions, and are very handy to refer to a heading in a general or colloquial fashion, without...
of 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...
, and 373.2 miles (601 km) NNW
Boxing the compass
Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two points of the compass in clockwise order. Such names are formed by the initials of the cardinal directions and their intermediate ordinal directions, and are very handy to refer to a heading in a general or colloquial fashion, without...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The built-up area occupies a roughly rectangular shape 2 miles (3 km) long by 0.75 miles (1 km) wide, aligned in a North-South orientation. The land is relatively flat, rising gradually to around 15m elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
to the North of the town.
The expanse of the town extends to the villages on its fringes; Hillside
Hillside, Angus
Hillside is a village in Angus, Scotland, situated 1 mile to the north of Montrose. This is the location for the psychiatric hospital, Sunnyside Royal Hospital.-External links:*...
and Ferryden. It lies close to the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
s of Lunan and St Cyrus
St Cyrus
St Cyrus is a village located in the extreme south of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-General information:...
. The rural location ensures that the air quality is good, with low levels of nitrogen dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula it is one of several nitrogen oxides. is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of nitric acid, millions of tons of which are produced each year. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odor and is a prominent...
and PM10.
Montrose Basin
Montrose Basin
The Montrose Basin is part of the estuary of the South Esk forming a tidal basin near to the town of Montrose, Angus, on the north-east coast of Scotland....
is a shallow estuary approximately three miles in diameter. It is situated where the River South Esk
River South Esk
The South Esk is a river in Angus, Scotland. It goes past Brechin and enters the North Sea at Montrose Basin. It was noted in the 19th century.-References:...
meets the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. During the 16th century, local landowners desiring more arable land considered reducing its size, but their plans were never carried out.
In 1981 the Montrose Basin Nature Reserve was created. The Scottish Wildlife Trust operates a modern, purpose-built wildlife centre at Rossie Braes, which offers good telescopic and televisual views of the area, and of the thousands of migratory birds which pass through the area in all seasons.
In Summer, one might see the osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
which hunts along the length of the Basin, or a kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
flitting past. The artificial sand-martin bank is a hive of activity all Spring and early Summer. One can watch the blue tit
Blue Tit
The Blue Tit is a 10.5 to 12 cm long passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and western Asia in deciduous or mixed woodlands...
s and swallows inside their nests, and take in the panoramic vista of the rolling Angus countryside and hills.
In October and November there are 38,000 birds using the basin. In Winter, 20,000 pink-foot geese take up residence on the mudflats, feeding in the nearby fields by day, and returning to the safety of the Basin in the evening. The haunting fluting of their calls are beloved of local people, for whom the sound marks the turning of the seasons. The many feeders attract brightly coloured field and garden birds, and the occasional woodpecker.
In recent years research published by Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Natural Heritage is a Scottish public body. It is responsible for Scotland's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designations, i.e...
claimed that the population of greylag geese has fallen as a result of climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
.
Montrose Beach
The 3 miles (4.8 km) sandy beach has been awarded a Blue FlagBlue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
for its eco credentials. The surrounding Traill Pavilion and Seafront Splash! facilities with an arcade, a playground, a café and an ice-cream stall is popular amongst locals and visitors alike. North of the town the River North Esk
River North Esk
The North Esk is a river in Angus and Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is formed by the meeting of the Water of Mark and the Water of Lee , and enters the North Sea four miles north of Montrose. It forms the boundary between Angus and Aberdeenshire at certain stages in its course...
enters the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
across the beach.
The Save our Sands Campaign (SOS) was set up on 26 March 2009 to raise awareness amidst concerns over the erosion of Montrose beach, caused by the "one million tonnes of sand, swept by the tide into the harbour...removed from the local area over the past 25 years". In 2006 150,000 tonnes was shipped to Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
to fortify its dwindling beach. This was met with opposition from Montrose Golf Links who believed that the golf course built on top of the dunes, as one of the oldest in the world, should be protected. The sand dunes are becoming unstable due to increasing tides which has forced the Montrose Golf Links to consider moving the golf course more inland. However Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Natural Heritage is a Scottish public body. It is responsible for Scotland's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designations, i.e...
opposes the realignment as it could affect a protected coastal site at St Cyrus
St Cyrus
St Cyrus is a village located in the extreme south of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-General information:...
.
A film made by local broadcaster Anthony Baxter in January 2009 highlighted the issue and was designed to attract attention for urgent action and put pressure on local politicians. The group are concerned that Angus Council are not acting efficiently to halt the effects of erosion and believe a full study should be carried out. The film won the best short film category in the BFFS Community Cinema Festival in 2009. Since 2009 a team from the University of Dundee
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
has begun assessing the coastline around Montrose in a two year study to decide the best way of managing coastal erosion. The film titled "SOS Montrose Dredging" has been posted on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Demography
The 2001 census gave Montrose's total resident population as 10,845. This makes it the third largest town in AngusAngus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, after Arbroath
Arbroath
Arbroath or Aberbrothock is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus in Scotland, and has a population of 22,785...
(22,785) and Forfar
Forfar
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh of approximately 13,500 people in Angus, located in the East Central Lowlands of Scotland. Forfar is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1929, when the ancient name was reinstated, and...
(13,206), with Carnoustie
Carnoustie
Carnoustie is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast...
in fourth place (10,561).
Since the Second World War the population of Montrose has increased. The presence of Dundee families in Montrose during wartime convinced a number to settle there. This altered the demographics of the town and led to the building of housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
s in the 1960s. A number of people from the Polish community who had served with the British forces at RAF Montrose also settled.
There is an increasing elderly population which is reflected in the profusion of nursing and residential homes and in recent plans to extend provision for sheltered housing
Sheltered housing
Sheltered housing is a British English term covering a wide range of rented housing for older and/or disabled or other vulnerable people. Most commonly it refers to grouped housing such as a block or "scheme" of flats or bungalows with a scheme manager or "officer"; traditionally the manager has...
. However there has been a commensurate increase in the number of immigrants in recent years, particularly from Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. Data published by Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics
Neighbourhood statistics
The Neighbourhood Statistics Service was established in 2001 by the UK's Office for National Statistics and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit - then part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister , now Communities and Local Government - to provide good quality small area data to support the...
in 2008 records the population of Montrose & District as 15,013 which is around 18% of the population of Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
as a whole. Of this total 17.6% are children, 60% are of working age and 22% are pensioners. Around 12% of those who live in the town are unemployed and 14.1% of households are "income deprived".
Economy
The economy of the town has been expanding since the end of the Second World War. GlaxoSmithKlineGlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
has been a major source of jobs since the 1950s. Other significant employers include Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, Co Operative Group, Petrofac
Petrofac
Petrofac is an international provider of integrated facilities services to the oil, gas and energy production and processing industries. It is registered in Jersey , with its main corporate office in Jermyn Street, London. In addition it has major offices in Aberdeen, Mumbai, and Sharjah, and a...
Merpro and Argos
Argos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
. In 2009 Sainsbury's announced plans to build a new superstore on the edge of the town which will provide work for an estimated 200 people. Construction of the new Sainsburys store was approved by Angus Council in August 2011 and spoke persons from sainsburys believe the store will open in less than a year and provide at least 200 full and part time jobs for local people. BT recently upgraded the local telephone exchange to grant the town access to super fast fiberoptic broadband services one of only three towns to be chosen in Scotland. The average price of housing in the town is between £106,054 and £131,539, a rise on the 1998 average between £42,640 and £51,200.
Tourism
Since 2002 there has been a focus on attracting new visitors to the town with the foundation of the Montrose Town Partnership which aims to "encourage representatives of the public, private and community sector to act together to develop the economic potential of Montrose to address the needs of local people and visitors alike". Membership includes The Montrose Society, Montrose Heritage Trust, Montrose Community Council, Montrose Golf Links Ltd, MERPRO Leisure, Montrose Business and Retailers Association, Scottish Wildlife TrustScottish Wildlife Trust
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland.-Description:The Scottish Wildlife Trust has over 32,800 members...
, Dunninald and Angus Council, Ferryden & Craig and Hillside, Dun and Logie Pert community councils. Since 2002 they have produced a number of promotional leaflets and have established a weekly Saturday market in the town centre. In 2002 plans were unveiled to renovate the Mid Links. The project was completed in 2003 at the total cost of £1.8million with £1.2million granted by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
. Plaques have been incorporated to inform visitors of the historical heritage of the town's buildings.
Cultural history
Montrose is regarded as the cultureCulture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
and sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
capital of Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, with over 20 statues of note scattered around the town. The statues are a mix of contemporary and classical works, with many from the noted local sculptor, William Lamb ARSA. Lamb was born in Montrose in 1893 and was an artist of exceptional talent.
In Montrose from the 1920s to 1940s, local architect George Fairweather’s studio provided a forum for lively debate by an artistic community that included Hugh MacDiarmid
Hugh MacDiarmid
Hugh MacDiarmid is the pen name of Christopher Murray Grieve , a significant Scottish poet of the 20th century. He was instrumental in creating a Scottish version of modernism and was a leading light in the Scottish Renaissance of the 20th century...
, Edwin Muir
Edwin Muir
Edwin Muir was an Orcadian poet, novelist and translator born on a farm in Deerness on the Orkney Islands. He was remembered for his deeply felt and vivid poetry in plain language with few stylistic preoccupations....
, William Lamb, Helen Cruickshank
Helen Cruickshank
Helen Burness Cruickshank was a minor Scottish poet and suffragette, better known for being a focal point of the Scottish Renaissance. At her home in Corstorphine, various Scottish writers of note would meet....
and Fionn MacColla
Fionn MacColla
Fionn MacColla born Thomas Douglas MacDonald on 4 March 1906, was a Scottish novelist closely connected to the Scottish Renaissance. Although he wrote in English, he was very interested in Scottish Gaelic language and culture and campaigned for it to return to, what he perceived to be, its...
.
The local weekly newspaper, the Montrose Review
Montrose Review
The Montrose Review was established on 11 January 1811, with the full title of The Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review, and Forfar and Kincardine Shires Advertiser...
, was edited by Hugh MacDiarmid
Hugh MacDiarmid
Hugh MacDiarmid is the pen name of Christopher Murray Grieve , a significant Scottish poet of the 20th century. He was instrumental in creating a Scottish version of modernism and was a leading light in the Scottish Renaissance of the 20th century...
.
Music
Since 2008, Montrose has hosted the Montrose Music FestivalMontrose Music Festival
Montrose Music Festival is a Scottish music festival which takes place at the end of May in Montrose, Angus. It has become a much anticipated, annual event across Scotland. The festival committee is a non-profit, volunteer run organisation, dedicated to promoting free live music of all styles and...
, which takes place each year at the end of May. Notable acts who have played at the festival include Average White Band, Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop band formed in Glasgow during 1985. Their name was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues". The band consists of vocalist Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond....
and The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid . They are probably best known for the songs "Letter from America", "I'm On My Way" and "I'm Gonna Be ". The band tours extensively throughout Europe and other continents...
.
Sport
Montrose also has the 5th oldest golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course in the world, the Montrose Medal, dating from 1562. It is also a qualifying course for The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
. Past events hosted on the Montrose Links include:
- Scottish Professional Championship, 1909, 1967, 1970
- Scottish Amateur Championship, 1905, 1913, 1919, 1926 and 1925
- British Boys Championship, 1991; Scottish Universities Championship
- Final Qualifying for The Open, 1999 and 2007.
Montrose F.C.
Montrose F.C.
Montrose Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team, based in the town of Montrose, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division.- Early years :...
are members of the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
and currently play in the Third Division
Scottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
. Montrose Roselea F.C.
Montrose Roselea F.C.
Montrose Roselea Football Club are a Scottish Junior football club based in the town of Montrose, Angus. Formed in 1930 and nicknamed "the Lea", they play their home games at Broomfield Park, a relatively undeveloped facility in the north of the town which has room for around 1,800 spectators...
are a Scottish junior football, Formed in 1930 and nicknamed "the Lea", they play their home games at Broomfield Park. Other sports associations include the Montrose Cricket Club, Montrose & District SEALS Swimming Club, Montrose & District Athletics, Rugby union club and several bowls clubs which are part of the Montrose & District Bowling Club Association.
Christian groups
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
: Montrose Old and St Andrew's ('Auld Kirk'), Melville-South Parish Church, Dun and Hillside Church. There are two United Free Churches: Knox's Church and Ferryden Church. In the Links there is an Episcopal Church
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
(St Mary's and St Peter's) the United Reform Church and Methodist Church nearby. In Borrowfield there is a Baptist Church and LDS Church. A Quaker group meets in the town. The Roman Catholic community is served by St Margaret's Roman Catholic Church.
The most prominent church is the Old and St Andrew's Church, Montrose
Old and St Andrew's Church, Montrose
The Old and St Andrew's Church, Montrose is a Church of Scotland church in Montrose, Angus. It was dedicated in 1793....
. Reverend Dr Charles Nisbet who became minister in 1764 described it as a church which "embraced much cultivation and intelligence".
A Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses lies on the edge of the town.
Public services
Montrose and the surrounding area is supplied with water by Scottish WaterScottish Water
Scottish Water is a statutory corporation in Scotland that provides water and sewerage services. Unlike in England and Wales, water and sewerage provision in Scotland continues as a public corporation accountable to the public through the Scottish Government....
from the Lintrathen and Backwater
Backwater Reservoir
Backwater Reservoir is a reservoir in north west Angus, Scotland.The project was initiated by the Dundee Corporation Waterworks in 1964 and absorbed into the newly created East of Scotland Water Board in 1968, before final completion and the official opening by Queen Elizabeth II on October 9, 1969...
reservoirs in Glen Isla
River Isla, Perthshire
The River Isla is a tributary of the River Tay in Angus and Perthshire, Scotland. It runs for 46 miles through Glen Isla and Strathmore .-External links:*...
. Electricity distribution is by Scottish Hydro Electric plc
Scottish Hydro Electric
Scottish Hydro plc was a Public Electricity Supplier formed on 1 August 1989 after a change of name from North of Scotland Electricity plc on that date...
, part of the Scottish and Southern Energy group.
Waste management is handled by Angus Council
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. There is a kerbside recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
scheme that has been in operation since March 2005. Cans, glass, paper and plastic bottles are collected on a weekly basis. Compostable material and non-recyclable material are collected on alternate weeks. Roughly two thirds of non-recyclable material is sent to landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
at Angus Council's site at Lochhead, Forfar and the remainder sent for incineration
Incineration
Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas, and...
(with energy recovery) outside the council area.
A recycling centre is located at Broomfield Road. Items accepted include, steel and aluminium cans, cardboard, paper, electrical equipment, engine oil, fridges and freezers, garden waste, gas bottles, glass, liquid food and drinks cartons, plastic bottles, plastic carrier bags, rubble, scrap metal, shoes and handbags, spectacles, textiles, tin foil, wood and yellow pages. Angus council publishes details of where and how each product is processed. There are also glass banks at Tesco in Western Road and Scotmid in New Wynd, as well as a neighbourhood recycling point at Wharf Street. The Angus Council area had a recycling rate of 34.7% in 2007/08.
Healthcare
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
is supplied in the area by NHS Tayside
NHS Tayside
NHS Tayside is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It provides healthcare services in the Angus, City of Dundee and Perth and Kinross areas. NHS Tayside is headquartered in Clepington Road, Dundee...
. The nearest hospitals with accident and emergency departments is Arbroath Infirmary, Primary Health Care in Montrose is supplied by Townhead Medical Practice which is based at the Links Health Centre. Montrose along with the rest of Scotland is served by the Scottish Ambulance Service
Scottish Ambulance Service
The Scottish Ambulance Service is part of NHS Scotland, and serves all of Scotland. It is a Special Health Board funded directly by the Scottish Government Health Department....
.
Law enforcement is provided by Tayside Police
Tayside Police
Tayside Police is the territorial police force covering the Scottish council areas of Angus, City of Dundee and Perth and Kinross . The total area covered by the force is with a population of 388,000....
, and Montrose is served by Tayside Fire and Rescue Service
Tayside Fire and Rescue Service
Tayside Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the area of Tayside and covering a geographical area of 7,500 square kilometres. The FRS has a total of 50 fire appliances based at a total of 24 fire stations. The service currently recruits 721 operational Firefighters...
.
Notable connections
- Edward BairdEdward BairdEdward Baird was born in Montrose in 1904, the son of a sea captain. He was descended from a long line of seafarers, but poor health throughout his life meant that he was unable to follow his forebears to sea...
was born in Montrose in 1904 and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1924 to 1927. Baird returned to Montrose after graduating and lived there for the rest of his life, painting local subjects and keeping a low profile. Often described as a Scottish Surrealist, Baird is equally known for his association with the Scottish Renaissance movement. His artistic output was relatively small, due to his perfectionism, time-intensive manner of working and his early death at the age of forty-five. - Pioneering botanist, Robert BrownRobert Brown (botanist)Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
, the discoverer of the cell nucleusCell nucleusIn cell biology, the nucleus is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells. It contains most of the cell's genetic material, organized as multiple long linear DNA molecules in complex with a large variety of proteins, such as histones, to form chromosomes. The genes within these...
, of cytoplasmic streamingCytoplasmic streamingCytoplasmic streaming is the directed flow of cytosol and organelles around large fungal and plant cells. This movement aids in the delivery of nutrients, metabolites, genetic information, and other materials to all parts of the cell...
and of Brownian motionBrownian motionBrownian motion or pedesis is the presumably random drifting of particles suspended in a fluid or the mathematical model used to describe such random movements, which is often called a particle theory.The mathematical model of Brownian motion has several real-world applications...
was born in Montrose. - Captain Sir Alexander BurnesAlexander BurnesCaptain Sir Alexander Burnes was a Scottish traveller and explorer who took part in The Great Game. He was nicknamed Bokhara Burnes for his role in establishing contact with and exploring Bukhara, which made his name.-Early life:He was born in Montrose, Scotland, to the son of the local provost,...
, Explorer. - David Carnegie (entrepreneur)David Carnegie (entrepreneur)David Carnegie, Sr. was a Scottish entrepreneur who founded D. Carnegie & Co. in Sweden, today known as Carnegie Investment Bank.-See also:*Balquhidder*Sankta Birgittas kapell...
- George Paul ChalmersGeorge Paul ChalmersGeorge Paul Chalmers was a Scottish painter.He was born at Montrose, and studied at Trustees Academy in Edinburgh under Robert Scott Lauder . He turned to landscapes later in his career, instead of the portraits which formed his earlier work...
, Artist - The Angus Rembrandt. - Helen CruickshankHelen CruickshankHelen Burness Cruickshank was a minor Scottish poet and suffragette, better known for being a focal point of the Scottish Renaissance. At her home in Corstorphine, various Scottish writers of note would meet....
, the Scottish poet, grew up in this area. - Malcolm Duncan (musician)Malcolm Duncan (musician)Malcolm "Molly" Duncan is a tenor saxophonist and founding member of Average White Band.Duncan has recorded with Ray Charles, Tom Petty, Buddy Guy, Ben E...
, Sax player with the Average White Band - James Graham, 1st Marquess of MontroseJames Graham, 1st Marquess of MontroseJames Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
, a Scottish nobleman and soldier born in Montrose in 1612. - Joseph HumeJoseph HumeJoseph Hume FRS was a Scottish doctor and Radical MP, born in Montrose, Angus.-Medical career:He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and moved to India in 1797...
, Scottish doctor and politician was born in Montrose in 1777. - Violet JacobViolet JacobViolet Jacob was a Scottish writer, now known especially for her historical novel Flemington and her poetry....
(1863–1946) was a Scottish writer, now known especially for her historical novel Flemington and her poetry. - Fionn MacCollaFionn MacCollaFionn MacColla born Thomas Douglas MacDonald on 4 March 1906, was a Scottish novelist closely connected to the Scottish Renaissance. Although he wrote in English, he was very interested in Scottish Gaelic language and culture and campaigned for it to return to, what he perceived to be, its...
, pen-name of Thomas Douglas MacDonald, writer associated with the Scottish RenaissanceScottish RenaissanceThe Scottish Renaissance was a mainly literary movement of the early to mid 20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version of modernism. It is sometimes referred to as the Scottish literary renaissance, although its influence went beyond literature into music, visual arts, and politics...
. - Hugh MacDiarmidHugh MacDiarmidHugh MacDiarmid is the pen name of Christopher Murray Grieve , a significant Scottish poet of the 20th century. He was instrumental in creating a Scottish version of modernism and was a leading light in the Scottish Renaissance of the 20th century...
, was once editor of the local newspaper. - John McGovern (footballer)John McGovern (footballer)John McGovern is a Scottish former association football player and manager. McGovern is most famous for captaining the Nottingham Forest side that won the European Cup twice, under the management of Brian Clough....
, Nottingham Forest European Cup winning captain. - Andrew MelvilleAndrew MelvilleAndrew Melville was a Scottish scholar, theologian and religious reformer. His fame encouraged scholars from the European Continent to study at Glasgow and St Andrews.-Early life and early education:...
, Radical Presbyterian who ensured the completion of Knox's Reformation in Scotland. - Tanner FoustTanner FoustTanner Foust is a professional racing driver, stunt driver, and television host. He competes in rally, drift, ice racing, time attack and rallycross with multiple podium placements and national championships. He is a co-host on the American version of the motoring television series, Top...
, an American professional racing driver, stunt driver, and television host. He has hosted such programs as Top Gear (U.S. TV series)Top Gear (U.S. TV series)Top Gear is a motoring television series, based on the BBC series of the same name. The show's presenters are professional racing driver Tanner Foust, actor and comedian Adam Ferrara, and automotive and racing analyst Rutledge Wood. As with the original British version, the show has its own version... - James Morrison (artist)James Morrison (artist)Born in Glasgow in 1932, James "Jimmy" Morrison studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1950-4. In 1957, along with Anda Paterson and James Spence, he founded the Glasgow Group of artists....
RSA, RSW, Artist - Hercules RossHercules RossHercules Ross was a Scottish merchant, who made a fortune in Jamaica, became an intimate friend of Horatio Nelson and figured prominently, if briefly, in the campaign for the abolition of the slave trade.-Origins:...
, gave evidence in support of the abolition of the slave trade. - Horatio RossHoratio RossHoratio Ross was a celebrated sportsman and a pioneer amateur photographer.-Background and early life:Ross was born at Rossie Castle, near Montrose, Angus on 5 September 1801, the son of Hercules Ross, a rich landowner who had acquired a substantial fortune in Jamaica...
, Sportsman, Photographer & Politian. - Gordon Smith (footballer born 1924), footballer.
- George WishartGeorge WishartGeorge Wishart was a Scottish religious reformer and Protestant martyr.He belonged to a younger branch of the Wisharts of Pitarrow near Montrose. He may have graduated M.A., probably at King's College, Aberdeen, and was certainly a student at the University of Leuven, from which he graduated in 1531...
, Lutheran Reformer and Martyr. - William Lamb (artist)
Twin towns
– LuzarchesLuzarches
Luzarches is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France.-References:** -External links:* * *...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- Montrose has been twinned with Luzarches since 1994.
Further reading
- Norman Keir Atkinson, The Early History of Montrose, (Angus Council Cultural Services, 1997) ISBN 1-873752-30-X
- James Bowick, John Lee et al., Montrose Characters: Past and Present, (Montrose, 1881)
- Duncan Fraser, Montrose (before 1700), (Montrose: Standard Press, 1967)
- Duncan Fraser, The Smugglers, (Montrose: Standard Press, 1971)
- Gordon Jackson & S.G.E. Lythe (eds), The Port of Montrose, (Tayport: Hutton, 1993) ISBN 1-872167-51-9
- James G. Low, Industry in Montrose, (Monikie: Pitnolen Publications, 1994)
- W. A. McNeil, Montrose before 1700 from original documents, (Dundee: Abertay Historical Society, 1961)
- David Mitchell, The History of Montrose, (Montrose: Geo. Walker, 1866)
- Tom Valentine, Old Montrose, (Catrine: Stenlake, 1997)
History and tourism
- Old maps of Montrose (1693-1861)
- History of Montrose by Angus Council
- Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society
- Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre
- Bamse Memorial Website
- Visit Montrose
- Undiscovered Scotland Montrose
- Montrose Golf Links
Photographs
- Photos of Montrose from Flickr
- More photos of Montrose from Flickr
- Photos of Montrose from The Gazetteer for Scotland