Around Montrose
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St Cyrus
Phone code: +44 (0)1674
North of Montrose on the A92, is the little coastal village of St Cyrus, whose church steeple is seen to great effect for miles around. Thanks to a bequest in the will of one John Orr in 1844, four local brides benefit each year in the most unusual way. The eldest, the youngest, the tallest and the shortest (all of them carefully measured by the local minister) receive a dowry from the interest on the money which he left for that purpose. Thus they are known as The Dowry Brides. The annual interest is in fact divided in five. The final fifth is used to buy comforts for the poor. The town is also known for its strict enforcement of the 30 mile per hour speed limit (this applies to Kincardine O'Neil on Deeside too). There's a wonderful sandy beach here, and the National Nature Reserve, complete with marine-life tank and visitor centre, is interesting. Tel. 830736, May-Sep.
Accommodation in St Cyrus
Kirkside Bothy, near the beach, Tel. 830780, Apr-Oct. There's also a campsite at East Bowstrips Caravan Park, Tel. 850328. At Lauriston, turn right at the Bush Hotel for Milton Haven. Self catering Cottages in St Cyrus===
- ST CYRUS - Angus Sleeps 8
Transport
Bluebird Buses, service No 101 between Stonehaven and Montrose, pass through St Cyrus and Johnshaven hourly Mon-Fri (less frequently Sat-Sun).
Johnshaven
A few miles further on is the old fishing village of Johnshaven, a thriving fishing port until quite recently, and in the early 18th century probably the largest in Scotland. The village is unusual because of the great number of people who are called McBay. They are all mostly descended from two cousins, Long Ned and Little Ned, one of whom had seven sons, and the other 10. Johnshaven is a good spot for buying lobster and crab, and its annual Fish Festival is getting more and more popular. It takes place on either the first or second Saturday in August. The date depends upon the tides, which have to be suitable for visiting craft. There's accommodation in the village at Ellington B&B, Station Place. Tel. 362756.
The three-mile walk north along the shore to Gourdon is one of the most pleasant and one of the easiest in the area. Very often, cormorants bask in the sun out on the rocks, spreading their wings to dry. Rather less often dolphins tumble past, their fins cutting a path through the water. In Gourdon you can buy fish from several fish houses on the harbour.
Self catering Cottages in Johnshaven
- STABLE COTTAGE, JOHNSHAVEN - Angus Sleeps 5
- DAIRY COTTAGE, JOHNSHAVEN - Angus Sleeps 6
Inverbervie
A few miles further on from Johnshaven lies Inverbervie, birthplace of Hercules Linton, designer of the Cutty Sark. The village is probably better known for the Bervie Chipper which was recently voted the best fish and chip shop in the UK. You can either eat in or takeaway (either way it's excellent value); just don't leave town without finding out what all the fuss is about.
By decree of King David, son of Robert the Bruce, Inverbervie is a Royal Burgh and residents enjoy several privileges, such as free fishing in the local river. Many anglers know this, but the fish seem to know as well as they are not very plentiful. For full-blooded fishing make for either the North Esk River at Edzell or somewhere along its length before it flows out to the sea by the two bridges just north of Montrose. The old bridge in Inverbervie, built in 1799, is the oldest single span bridge in the British Isles. To see it, turn left to the north of the village, just before the memorial to Linton. In the village square is Mingei, which has a good selection of Japanese and European antiques.
Just to the south of the village, on the left heading north, is the Mill of Benholm (pronounced 'Ben-um'). This is a water mill powered by the water from the miller's dam. There's also a little tearoom and an easy signed walk nearby.
Transport
Bluebird Buses, service No 101 between Stonehaven and Montrose, pass through Inverbervie and Kinneff (see below) hourly Mon-Fri (less frequently Sat-Sun).
Self Catering Cottages in Inverbevie
- Houdshaven Sleeps 2 - 4
- Shepherd House Cottage Sleeps 2 - 3
Arbuthnott
Phone code: +44 (0)1561
Five miles inland from Inverbervie, between the A92 and A90, is Arbuthnott, birthplace of the amazingly prolific author Lewis Grassic Gibbon (1901-35), and where he spent his formative years. From 1928 till his untimely death at the age of 34, he wrote an astonishing 17 books. Sunset Song, the first part of the Scots Quair trilogy, is his best-known work. It remains one of the true classics of Scottish literature and is an absolute must for anyone exploring this area. The Grassic Gibbon Centre, at the east end of the village, traces his life and points out the places he wrote about. There is also a café and bookshop. Apr-Oct daily 1000-1630. £2, £1.25 child/concession. Tel. 361668.
Grassic Gibbon is also buried here, under his real name of James Leslie Mitchell, in a corner of the churchyard, about half a mile away at the other end of the village. The parish church itself is one of the few intact pre-Reformation churches in Scotland and is notable for its 13th-century chancel. Near the centre is Arbuthnott House, a fortified manorhouse dating from the 15th century. The gardens are open all year daily 0900-1700, the house on certain days in the summer. Details from Bervie Information and Activity Centre in the main street.
Kinneff
A few miles north of Inverbervie, on the road to Stonehaven, you'll see a sign on the right to the Old Church, Kinneff, where the Scottish Crown Jewels - the Royal Regalia - were hidden in 1651 to protect them from Cromwell's greedy paws. Here they lay buried under the church floor for nearly 10 years. It's a mile and a half down to the church, where there's a memorial to the Reverend James Grainger, who hid the treasures and thus saved the 'Honours of Scotland': the crown, sceptre and sword. There are various stories of how they were smuggled out of nearby Dunnottar Castle.
In Tales of a Grandfather, Sir Walter Scott relates how Christian Grainger, the minister's wife, accompanied by her serving maid, carried them out of Dunnottar in collaboration with the Governor and his wife. Another version tells how they were lowered on ropes down the castle wall. There, on the beach, a fishwife gathering seaweed hid the sword in a bundle of flax and the crown in her creel (used for catching lobsters). So, the 'Honours' were saved and are now displayed in Edinburgh castle.
Just to the north of Kinneff, at Crawton, is the Fowlsheugh RSPB Reserve. The spectacular 250-ft high cliffs are home to tens of thousands of seabirds, including shags, guillemots, kittiwakes, fulmars, razorbills and puffins. They're best seen in early summer (May-July). You can see them from the top of the cliffs, but take great care. Better still, take a boat trip from Stonehaven (May-July on Tuesday and Friday at 1830).
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