10 things you need to know about Montrose

Montrose
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Picture courtesy of Paul Tomnkins, Visit Scotland

The coastal town of Montrose in Angus on the east coast of Scotland is home to a bustling, traditional town centre, stunning, sandy beaches and a picturesque nature reserve. Throw in some great local amenities and useful transport links to nearby cities Aberdeen and Dundee and Montrose clearly has a lot to offer visitors and residents alike.

Interested to find out more though? Read on to find out 10 things you should probably know about Montrose, one of Scotland’s loveliest coastal resorts.

The town has a rich and varied history, with at least three different names.

Indeed, Montrose is thought to have been settled since the prehistoric era with the Danish Vikings making a frequent appearance in the 10th Century. Known as Celurca and later founded as a royal burgh named Sallorch by King David I in the mid-12th century, the modern name of Montrose is said to stem from the Scottish Gaelic words Monadh (or ‘moor’) and Ros (‘peninsula’ or ‘headland’) with the town being referred to as Munross from around 1178.

It was during this time that Montrose became a thriving trading town, exporting leather and cured salmon from its busy shipping port. Although the town continued to thrive in the import and export of wheat, barley, flax, timber, salt, fruit and wine over the following years, it also played a tumultuous role in the Medieval Wars of Independence and 1715 Jacobite rebellion before becoming a smuggling stronghold in the 18th century.

Montrose’s most famous son is actually of the canine variety.

A number of notable residents have called Montrose home, such as nobleman, poet and Captain General of Scotland, James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose (1612–1650), entrepreneur and banker David Carnegie, Sr. (1772 – 1837) and Scottish novelist and founding member of the National Party of Scotland, Fionn MacColla (1906–1975).

However, the most famous Montrose resident of all is arguably the courageous St Bernard sea dog Bamse who was stationed in the town with the naval ship and minesweeper Thorodd during World War II. Bamse became a local hero to young and old alike before his death in 1944.

The town is also home to one of the World’s oldest golf courses…

Golf is an important pastime in Montrose and there are a number of great local courses. This includes the Montrose Medal. Established around 1562, and the golf course is thought to be one of the first (and definitely most picturesque) golf courses in the world.

There are plenty of other leisure pursuits and activities on offer in Montrose too, with a well-equipped Sports Centre and sailing, cricket, swimming, tennis, rugby, athletics, bowls and football clubs available. Local lady Helen Graham Matthews – a suffragette and keen footballer – even created the first women’s football team in Scotland (and later Britain) during the 1880s. They were known as Mrs Graham’s XI.

Fans of the outdoors will also appreciate Montrose’s proximity to the Cairngorms National Park less than an hour away which offers unparalleled hiking, cycling and mountaineering opportunities.

…and an award-winning coastline.

Montrose beach, like many of its Angus neighbours, is an award-winning three mile stretch of sandy coastline making it perfect for a day at the beach. There is also a scenic promenade, amusements, a number of eateries and a Seafront Splash play area.

Montrose has its own nature reserve which welcomes visitors

The beautiful Montrose Basin Nature Reserve covers 750 hectares of the South Esk estuary and hosts over 80,000 birds including a number of rare and protected species. There is also a fully equipped visitor centre and viewing stations.

The town is also home to the widest high street in the UK…

Montrose’s high street (the widest in the UK allegedly) and town centre offer a good selection of high street brands and independent shops from traditional butchers and greengrocers to artisan craft shops and eateries.

Longstanding Montrose resident The Pavilion café, 1920’s themed bar and restaurant Rug Bug Benny’s, nearby Charleston Fruit Farm and the scenic Grey Harlings Restaurant are all popular for a bite to eat and for a cosy, traditional pub, look no further than the Market Arms or Northern Vaults.

There is also apopular monthly Farmers Market.

…and it has received the accolade ‘culture and sculpture capital’

The number of historic and contemporary artifacts and artworks on display on the Montrose Sculpture Trail have led to the town being named the ‘culture and sculpture capital of Angus’.

More of Montrose’s impressive cultural heritage is also on display at the Montrose Museum and Art Gallery and the Air Station Heritage Centre and the popular Montrose Music Festival (dubbed ‘Mo Fest’) also draws the crowds each May.

The area has also become a focal point for the oil, gas, pharmaceutical, retail and tourist industries.

Big employers such as GlaxoSmithKline and the Cooperative Group are based locally, and hubs Dundee and Aberdeen are both within an easy commute for Montrose residents.

The arrival of superfast fibreoptic broadband services in recent years also makes working from home a painless experience for locals.

Montrose is well connected despite its coastal location.

When it comes to driving, Aberdeen and Dundee are equidistant to the north and south of Montrose respectively and are around 50 minutes away via the A92 between Dunfermline and Blackdog. The nearby A90 road between Edinburgh and Fraserburgh also provides connections to Perth and Peterhead.

Montrose has its own train station too, offering local services and journeys further afield to the likes of Aberdeen (35 minutes away), Dundee (30 minutes), Edinburgh, Glasgow Queen Street, Leeds and London King’s Cross. There is also an overnight sleeper service to London Euston.

Regular bus services connect Montrose with local towns and villages and the rest of northeast and central Scotland. For journeys further afield, Dundee Airport and Aberdeen Airport are an easy commute from Montrose too.

House prices are very affordable.

Homebuyers will be pleased to know that Montrose has some very competitive house prices. With an average house price of £148,843 over the last year, Montrose is more affordable than the Central Scotland (£187,525) and Angus (£181,698) regions overall, and the average cost of homes for the rest of the UK, which currently sits at £264,000.

One comment

  1. It’s interesting how it got its’ three names. I’d love to visit the place. Indeed, it has a rich history.

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