Montrose, Angus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.
This article has been tagged since March 2007.

Montrose
Monadh Rois (Gaelic)
Montrose (Scots)


OS grid reference:	NO715575



Population:	10,845 (2001 Census)



Council area:	Angus
Constituent country:	Scotland
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom

Police force:	Tayside Police
Lieutenancy area:	Angus
Former county:	Angus

Post town:	MONTROSE
Postal:	DD10
Telephone:	01674


Scottish Parliament:	Angus
UK Parliament:	Angus
European Parliament:	Scotland

Montrose is a minor port, tourist resort and former royal burgh in Angus, on the east coast of Scotland.

Early place names appear to show the presence of a Norse settlement in the area of the present harbour. The name Montrose probably stems from 'Mouth Hrossay' due to the location at the outlets of the River Esk near Rossie Island (Norse: horse island). However, the first documentary evidence of the existence of Montrose is the burgh charter issued by David I. Montrose once had a castle located in what is now the high street, it was destroyed in the year 1297 by Scottish Hero William Wallace.

John de Balliol resigned his kingdom to Edward I in Montrose. He was stripped of his arms and knightly dignity in a ceremony which later earned him the nickname "Toom (empty) Tabard."

After the short lived 1715 uprising on 4th February 1716 Prince James Francis Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) arrived in Montrose, where he spent his last night in Scotland before returning by ship to France.

It is said that Lord James Douglas embarked from here for Jerusalem with the heart of King Robert the Bruce.

Robert Peel is associated with Montrose - he was famous for starting the police force originally called 'peelers'.

Joseph Hume, Scottish doctor and politician was born in Montrose in 1777.

At one time it traded regularly with the towns of the Hanseatic League and was, during the 18th century, a major smuggling centre.

Montrose also has the 5th oldest golf course in the world, the Montrose Medal, dating from 1562. It is also a qualifying course for The Open Championship.

Montrose is the most northerly of the Angus coastal towns.

The Steeple, Montrose.

The skyline of Montrose is dominated by the Steeple, designed by James Gillespie Graham and built between 1832 & 1834.

Montrose is an attractive 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. The town itself boasts the widest high street in Scotland. This has picturesque closes leading to secluded gardens.

Most impressive of all is the town’s spectacular view of a two-mile tidal lagoon, Montrose Basin, which is considered a nature reserve of international importance. It is also the largest inland salt water basin in the UK, and an important habitat for the mute swan.

Helen Cruickshank, the Scottish poet, grew up in this area.

Violet Jacob (1863 - 1946) was a Scottish writer, now known especially for her historical novel Flemington and her poetry.

Edward Baird was born in Montrose in 1904 and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1924 to 1927.

Montrose is home to artist Miki Warren famous for her anti-war mural(Disneyland Guantanamo) painted on the side of a derelict warehouse in the town.

Today, Montrose is a lively town of around 12,000 inhabitants. It still functions as a port but the major employer in the town is GlaxoSmithKline, recently saved from closure.

Montrose with its splendid georgian architecture and sprawling high street sits head and shoulders above its inferior neighbours in Angus.