User:Nick/Sandbox B
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| Montrose | |
| Scottish Gaelic: Monadh Rois | |
| Scots: Montrose | |
  Montrose shown within Scotland |
|
| Population | 10,845 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Council area | Angus |
| Lieutenancy area | Angus |
| Constituent country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MONTROSE |
| Postcode district | DD10 |
| Dialling code | 01674 |
| Police | Tayside |
| Fire | Tayside |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| European Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Angus |
| Scottish Parliament | Angus |
| List of places: UK • Scotland | |
Montrose is a former royal burgh and an important North Sea seaport in Angus, Scotland. Montrose has a population of approximately 11,000. [1] Montrose has a long and varied history stemming from it's important position as a port, with battles having taken place at Montrose Castle during the Wars of Independence and the Jacobite rising. During the Second World War, Montrose played an important role and was the location for RAF Montrose, a defunct air station whose hangars now form part of Broomfield Industrial Estate. Today, Montrose is an important economic contributor to the economy of Angus, in addition to it's prominent role as a port and involvement with the oil and gas industry, it is also the site of a substantial GlaxoSmithKline manufacturing plant and a major tourist attraction thanks to it's world reknowned golf course, the 5th oldest in Scotland.
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[edit] History
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.
During the Wars of Independence against Edward I, in 1296 the English monarch visited the town with 30,000 of his men and stayed at Montrose castle for five days during which time he humiliated Scottish King John de Balliol by publicly stripping him of his Royal insignia and status in a ceremony which later earned him the nickname "Toom (empty) Tabard.". The following year the castle, which was manned by an English garrison, was destroyed in the year 1297 by Scottish Hero William Wallace.
In the 17th Century the site of the castle, now known as Castlestead, was also the birthplace of the famous James Graham, 1st Marquis 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.
It is said that Sir James Douglas embarked from here for Jerusalem with the heart of King Robert the Bruce.
The final chapter of the ill-fated 1715 Jacobite rebellion was also played out in Montrose After the short lived uprising on 4th February 1716 Prince James Francis Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) 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, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, 30 years later and in February 1746 the largest naval battle of the war was fought in Montrose Harbour.
[edit] Economy
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[edit] Famous People
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 skyline of Montrose is dominated by the 220 foot 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. 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.
The popular novelist Carmen Reid was born in Montrose and grew up in the surrounding countryside.
Montrose is also home to Miki Warren, known 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.
[edit] See also
- Montrose F.C.
- Montrose Roselea F.C.
- RAF Montrose
- Montrose Basin
- House of Dun
- Montrose Academy
- Community Website
[edit] References
- ^ SCROL Browser Population. Scottish Government (2001). Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
