Forfar ( sco, Farfar, gd, Baile Fharfair) is the
county town
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of
Angus, Scotland
Angus ( sco, Angus; gd, Aonghas) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross. Main industries include agr ...
and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town has a population of 16,280.
The town lies in
Strathmore and is situated just off the main
A90 road
The A90 road is a major north to south road in eastern Scotland, running from Edinburgh to Fraserburgh, through Dundee and Aberdeen. Along with the A9 and the A82 it is one of the three major north–south trunk roads connecting the Centra ...
between
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
and
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, with
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
(the nearest city) being 13 miles (21 km) away. It is approximately 5 miles (8 km) from
Glamis Castle, seat of the
Bowes-Lyon family and ancestral home of
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and where the late
Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...
, younger sister of
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
, was born in 1930.
Forfar dates back to the temporary
Roman occupation of the area, and was subsequently held by the
Picts
The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland (north of the Firth of Forth) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and what their culture was like can be inferred from ea ...
and the
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland (; , ) was a sovereign state in northwest Europe traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a la ...
. During the
Scottish Wars of Independence, Forfar was occupied by English forces before being recaptured by the Scots and presented to
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
. Forfar has been both a traditional market town and a major manufacturing centre for
linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
and
jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', which is in the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ''Corchorus olit ...
. Today the main activities are agriculture and tourism around scenic
Strathmore. The local glens are visited by hill-walkers, and there are ski-slopes in the mountains. The town is home to a number of local sporting teams, including the
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
football club,
Forfar Athletic
Forfar Athletic Football Club are a Scottish semi-professional football club from the town of Forfar, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Professional Football League and currently play in Scottish League Two. They play their home games a ...
.
The
Forfar bridie
A bridie or Forfar bridie is a Scottish meat pasty that originates from Forfar, Scotland.
History and preparation
Bridies are said "to have been 'invented' by a Forfar baker in the 1850s".Gow, Rosalie. ''Modern Ways with Traditional Scottish ...
, a Scottish meat pastry snack, is traditionally identified with the town.
Etymology
The genesis of the toponym ''Forfar'' is uncertain.
One suggestion is that the name is
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
and means "a cold point", involving, ''fuar'' meaning "cold, chilly", and ''bhar'' meaning "a point".
History
During one of the Roman invasions of modern-day Scotland, the Romans established a major
camp
Camp may refer to:
Outdoor accommodation and recreation
* Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site
* a temporary settlement for nomads
* Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...
at
Battledykes
Battledykes is a Roman camp slightly to the north of Forfar, Scotland. According to Hector Boece, Pictish chiefs met at a castle by Forfar Loch to plan how to repel the Roman armies, who invaded several times between the 1st and 4th centuries ...
, approximately 3 miles (5 km) north of Forfar; this camp was analysed to have held 50,000 to 60,000 men. From Battledykes northward the Romans established a succession of camps including
Stracathro
Stracathro ( gd, Srath Catharach) is a small place in Angus, Scotland. It was the site of a Roman marching camp as their forces invaded to the north.
Location
Stracathro is located southeast of Edzell in north-east Angus. It lies to the north ...
,
Raedykes and
Normandykes.
During the Middle Ages, a "claimant" to the throne, the daughter of the leader of the
Meic Uilleim, who were descendants of King
Duncan II, had her brains dashed out on Forfar market cross in 1230 while still an infant.
During the
First War of Scottish Independence, the
castle of Forfar was held by the English. After
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
's victory over the
Earl of Buchan, Philip, the Forester of Platane, together with some of his friends raised ladders against the wall and, climbing over, surprised the garrison and slew them. He then yielded the castle to Bruce, who rewarded him and gave instructions for its demolition.
The
Meffan Museum is in the heart of the town. It was built by a daughter of the Provost Meffan as a bequest in 1898. It is home of the Forfar story. It is also an art gallery and a meeting place for local speakers, summer clubs for children and groups. The story of Forfar takes you from the history of the little cobbler shops to the burning of the witch Helen Guthrie. There is also a good selection of Pictish stones found in and around Forfar and Kirriemuir. The Large Class I
Pictish stone, with a rare carving of a flower, is called the
Dunnichen Stone
The Dunnichen Stone is a class I Pictish symbol stone that was discovered in 1811 at Dunnichen, Angus. It probably dates to the 7th century AD.
Location
The exact location at which the stone was found is unknown, but thought to be in a field i ...
. It was found in the early 19th century when a farmer from the East Mains of
Dunnichen was ploughing. It was initially displayed at a church in the vicinity, then at Dunnichen House. In 1966 it was relocated at
St Vigeans
St Vigeans is a small village and parish in Angus, Scotland, immediately to the north of Arbroath. Originally rural, it is now more or less a suburb of the town of Arbroath.
History
The name St Vigeans is derived from ''Vigeanus'', a Latinised ...
and finally moved to
Dundee museum in 1972. After the Meffan Institute had been renovated it was brought to Forfar on a long-term loan where it is displayed alongside the
Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones
The Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones are a series of Class II and III Pictish stones found in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. Their existence points to Kirriemuir being an important ecclesiastical centre in the late first millennium AD.
Location
The st ...
. There is a canoe, excavated from Forfar Loch, that dates back to the 11th century (one of two that were found).
Like other parts of
Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
, Forfar was home to a very successful textile industry during and after the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
. In the late 18th century the firm of William Don & Co. (later William and John Don & Co) was founded in the town. The firm originally bought and sold webs of linen which were woven in local cottages, although it also operated a small weaving shed. In 1865 the firm merged with A J Buist, a
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
based firm, and began construction of St James Works in Forfar. The partnership also operated mills in Dundee and later built Station Works in Forfar, which contained some 300 looms. Workers housing was built by the firm in Forfar. Don Brothers, Buist & Company Ltd, as the firm was known from 1904, built another works in Forfar, at Strang Street, in 1929. In 1960 it merged with another Dundee firm, Low Brothers & Co (Dundee) Ltd, eventually becoming Don & Low (Holdings) Ltd. By the 1980s the Don & Low group was the United Kingdom's biggest polypropylene textile extrusion and weaving unit. The firm retains premises in Forfar, mainly producing woven and non-woven
polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene.
Polypropylene
belongs to the group of polyolefins and ...
industrial textile products and plastic food packaging.
In 1958 Don Brothers, Buist & Co Ltd acquired a controlling interest in another Forfar based-textile firm, Moffat & Son Ltd, who operated Haugh Works in South Street.
Another important Forfar textile firm was J & A Craik & Company, Linen and Jute Manufacturers, which was based at the Manor Works. Craiks was started in 1863 when James Craik obtained land in Forfar to build the Manor Works and the company survived until 1981, the year in which it became part of the Low and Bonar group.
Craiks owned Forfar Fabrics Ltd, incorporated in 1965, which amalgamated with Low & Bonar Textiles Limited in 1981.
The jute manufacturers, John Lowson, Jnr & Co Ltd, also operated in Forfar, operating out of Victoria Works.
![Forfar tablica](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Forfar_tablica.JPG)
In 1911 more than 20% of workers in Forfar were employed in the
jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', which is in the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ''Corchorus olit ...
industry. Employment levels in this industry generally dramatically declined in other parts of
Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
, including Dundee, during the next four decades. Notably in Dundee, the centre of the British jute industry, more than 40.4% of the working population had worked in the jute industry in 1911, but by 1951 this had fallen to just 18.5%. In Forfar, however this trend was not followed as percentage of the workforce employed in the jute industry had actually risen to 24.4% by 1951.
In the town there is a metal plaque to
General Sikorski
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...
and the Polish troops commemorating the visit of King
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...
and
Queen Elizabeth to the town on 7 March 1941. The metal plaque is located on a wall on Market Street below the Sheriff Court building. It was here on 7 March 1941 that the Royal couple, along with General Sikorski, took the salute in the march past of the Polish troops.
Queen Elizabeth II and the
Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...
visited the town and surrounding area in 2004 (the first time in around 30 years) and again in 2011. HRH Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay, visited the town in April 2012 to take the salute of the Black Watch during the regiment's homecoming parade, marking its return from a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Governance
![The Cross - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/The_Cross_-_geograph.org.uk_-_405749.jpg)
Forfar is a parish, town and former royal burgh. The meeting place of the burgh was the
Forfar Town and County Hall
Forfar Town and County Hall is a municipal building in The Cross, Forfar, Scotland. The structure, which serves as the meeting place of Angus Council, is a Category B listed building.
History Early history
The first municipal building in the t ...
. It is the county town of Angus, which was officially known as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1928. The town is represented within
Angus Council by the Forfar & District ward, from which four councillors are elected. The members elected from this ward are, as of 2021; Lynne Devine (
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
), Braden Davy (
Scottish Conservative and Unionist), Colin Brown (Independent) and Ian McLaren (Independent).
Transport
Road
The town is located just off the main
A90 Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
to
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
road which since 1987 has bypassed the town, but once passed through it.
Rail
The town was served by
Forfar railway station which ran goods and passenger lines until 3 September 1967 when it closed for passenger transport as part of the
Beeching cuts. A goods line from
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
continued until 1982. The station was located on the main line of the
Caledonian Railway from
Glasgow Buchanan Street to
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, which was the furthest north link in the chain of the
West Coast Main Line from
London Euston. Lines also went to
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
,
Arbroath
Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902.
It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen.
The ...
,
Brechin and Kirriemuir. The station has been demolished and replaced by a small housing estate. However, a major
locomotive
A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...
shed remains and is in use for vehicle body manufacture. Some bridges and cuttings still survive but the site of the goods station, which was the town's original railway station before the one near the
County Buildings was built, is now mainly residential properties. The nearest stations still open are in Dundee, Carnoustie and Arbroath, which are all around away.
Bus
There are
Stagecoach Strathtay
Stagecoach Strathtay is a Scottish bus operating company which covers the Dundee and Angus areas, and parts of Grampian. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, which bought Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd as part of Yorkshire Traction i ...
bus services to Dundee, Arbroath, Kirriemuir, Brechin and other places.
Climate
As with most of the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
, Forfar has an
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(
Köppen: ''Cfb''). The nearest weather station to Forfar is located around 3 miles (5 km) north of Forfar, and is
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
.
Local sport
Football
The town is home to semi-professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club
Forfar Athletic
Forfar Athletic Football Club are a Scottish semi-professional football club from the town of Forfar, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Professional Football League and currently play in Scottish League Two. They play their home games a ...
, who are members of the
Scottish Professional Football League
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is the national men's association football league in Scotland. The league was formed in June 2013 following a merger between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. As ...
and currently play in
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
and two
SJFA
The Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA) is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the junior grade of football (soccer), football in Scotland. The term "junior" refers to the ...
clubs,
Forfar West End, and
Forfar United, who both currently play in the
Midlands Football League. Forfar Athletic's ground,
Station Park, plays host to matches featuring
Dundee United Reserves.
Youth and Women's Football is available in the town, with Forfar Boys F.C (boys only), Lochside Boys F.C (boys only) and
Forfar Farmington F.C (boys, girls and women's) All the clubs have SFA Quality Mark Award at some level.
Rugby league
Forfar has a
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
rugby league team, the
Strathmore Silverbacks
Strathmore Silverbacks are a Scotland, Scottish rugby league team, part of Strathmore RFC, based in Forfar, Angus, Scotland, Angus. They play in the Scottish National League (rugby league), Scottish National League. Their home ground is Inchmac ...
, which shares Inchmacoble Park as its home ground with the local rugby union team.
Rugby union
Rugby Union is represented in the town by
Strathmore Rugby Football Club, who play their home games at Inchmacoble Park, beside Forfar Loch. The club has men's and ladies' teams.
Golf
The Forfar Golf Club, founded in 1871, has the 4th oldest 18 hole course in the world and is the very first club to have an 18 hole course from inception and inauguration. The course was designed by
Tom Morris Snr, and in 1926 alterations recommended by 5 time
Open Championship winner
James Braid were implemented. The letter with Braid's recommendations is on display in the Clubhouse.
The Forfar Golf Club has hosted the
Scottish PGA Championship
The Scottish PGA Championship is a golf tournament played annually in Scotland since 1907. For many years the event was called the Scottish Professional Championship. It is the flagship event on the "Tartan Tour", the PGA Tour in Scotland's sche ...
twice in its history, once in 1932 and again in 1966.
Cricket
Strathmore Cricket Club, founded in 1862, has played at Lochside Park since 1873.
Others sports and facilities
The town has a swimming pool and a separate dedicated leisure centre. There is also a newly built skatepark near the leisure centre. Forfar has an ice rink which was built in the early 1990s and this is home to the local curling club.
There are three
bowling
Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...
clubs in Forfar, Forfar Bowling Club, Canmore Bowling Club and Forfar Indoor Bowling Club. Both Forfar Bowling Club and Canmore Bowling Club have outdoor bowling greens.
Forfar Loch is home to Forfar Sailing Club.
Angus Gliding Club operates at Roundyhill, between Glamis and Kirriemuir.
Education
Forfar has three primary schools:
*Whitehills Primary School on Service Road. Whitehills contains a Gaelic Medium Unit where pupils are educated exclusively through the medium of
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
. The head teachers are Coureen Peters & Elaine Gallon (acting).
*Strathmore Primary School on St James' Road. The head teacher is Jennifer Garnes.
*Langlands Primary School on Glamis Road. The school reopened in May 2009 after the original buildings were demolished and an extensive period of rebuilding and landscaping. The head teacher is Karen Tough.
There is one secondary school in the town:
*
Forfar Academy on Taylor Street, one of the largest schools in Angus with a roll of around 1,200 pupils.
In 2007, the Forfar-Carnoustie Schools Project made major changes to schools in Forfar, with closure of the following primary schools:
Chapelpark Primary School on Academy Street (the former Forfar Academy) opened in 1967 and was active for 40 years before closing in 2007. The pupils were re-located to Strathmore Primary and Whitehills Primary. The building continued in use as a school, initially by Whitehills Primary until their new school was completed in early 2008. It was then home to Langlands Primary, until the new school on that site was completed in May 2009. Some locals believe it would have made a great library/museum, but in spring of 2016 it was decided that it would be turned into an apartment block, it was completed in the summer of 2018.
Kirkriggs Primary School in St. James' Road was closed in 2007. Pupils were re-located to Langlands until the new school on this site (Strathmore Primary) was completed in early 2008.
Wellbrae Primary School closed in 2007. Pupils were sent to Chapelpark Primary School and later to Whitehills Primary School. The play areas of Wellbrae were all concrete. In 2016, it burned to the ground in an arson attack.
Healthcare
The local community hospital, the ''Whitehills Health and Community Care Centre'', was built on the site of the old Whitehills Hospital building (the former hospital for infectious diseases) and opened in Spring 2005. The new hospital replaced
Forfar Infirmary
Forfar Infirmary was a health facility in Arbroath Road in Forfar, Angus, Scotland. It was managed by NHS Tayside.
History
The facility had its origins in the Forfar Poorhouse which was completed in June 1861. The infirmary, which was designed t ...
, formerly the town's main hospital, as well as Whitehills Hospital. The Infirmary has since been completely demolished.
The Fyfe-Jamieson maternity hospital closed some time ago; it was across the road from the Forfar Academy, but the site has since been built over with houses.
Places of worship
Forfar has three
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
congregations:
*East and Old Church, originally the parish kirk, with a tall slender spire, with steeple clock overlooking the town centre. It is a category B listed building and was refurbished in early 2017. The church is situated in the town centre and offers a mixture of traditional and contemporary worship.
*Lowson Memorial Church, off Montrose Road. This is a
category A listed church in late Scots
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
style built in 1914 by
A Marshall Mackenzie, who also designed
Crathie Kirk
Crathie Kirk is a small Church of Scotland parish church in the Scottish village of Crathie, best known for being the regular place of worship of the British royal family when they are in residence at the nearby Balmoral Castle.
Crathie Kirk i ...
. The church contains notable stained glass windows by Douglas Strachan. The church serves the east side of Forfar, and provides a mix of traditional and contemporary styles of worship.
*St Margaret's Church, in the West High Street, originally a Free Kirk.
It had been decided (by a Church of Scotland arbiter) that the East and Old Parish Church would close, and the congregation would be moving to St. Margaret's Church. This was brought back for discussion at Angus Presbytery due to a large vote against this decision. Now the East and Old and St Margaret's are to remain individual churches as they have always have been.
The East & Old Church is built on the site of the original place of worship that some of the monks of Restenneth Priory built hundreds of years before the one today. The adjoining graveyard has famous 'residents' such as botanist George Don, quite a few scholars and a man who blamed the witches of Forfar for poisoning him after ill words were exchanged between them.
The steeple is a focal point of Forfar, visible when entering the town from any direction. Although abutting the East & Old building, it is owned by the 'Town' and is not formally part of the church property; it is all but certain to be retained following any disposal of the church building.
The town has churches of other denominations, including:
* St John the Evangelist
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland.
A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...
, East High Street, designed by Sir R Rowand Anderson and consecrated in 1881.
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of Ki ...
, later to become
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...
, was confirmed in this church.
*St Fergus Roman Catholic Church.
* Forfar Community Church at Wellbraehead on part of the old school site.
There is a Kingdom Hall of
Jehovah's witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
Other items of interest
The town is traditionally identified with the
Forfar Bridie
A bridie or Forfar bridie is a Scottish meat pasty that originates from Forfar, Scotland.
History and preparation
Bridies are said "to have been 'invented' by a Forfar baker in the 1850s".Gow, Rosalie. ''Modern Ways with Traditional Scottish ...
, a meat pastry snack. A recipe for the Forfar bridie was featured in "Maw Broon's Cookbook".
Another feature of the town is the Forfar Loch Country Park, which is visited by locals as a walking venue. It is said that the Forfar Loch extended over much more of Forfar in the 1800s, going as far up as Orchardbank and Wellbrae. A drainage project brought the water level down. In about the same time period the loch was used to dump raw sewage; thankfully this practice is no longer continued: it is now treated sewage.
The town holds many events throughout the year such as the bi-annual Forfar Mara-Fun, which raises money for charity, and the annual Forfar Food Festival highlighting some of the local food. There is also a monthly
farmers' market.
Forfar is home to the Strathmore Mineral Water Co., Ltd., a bottled mineral water producer now run by AG Barr. The company's products are shipped worldwide.
Forfar is known for the "coo o Forfar". A householder left a tub of beer in the doorway to cool, and a passing cow drank it. When the owner of the cow was charged for the beer, a
baillie ruled that if the beer was drunk at the doorway it was "deoch an doras" or "stirrup cup", to charge for which would be an insult to Scots hospitality. This became a byword: "Be like the coo o Forfar, an tak a stannin drink".
Public services
Forfar and the surrounding area is supplied with water by
Scottish Water from Lintrathen and
Backwater
Backwater or Backwaters may refer to:
Music
* ''Backwaters'' (album), a 1982 album by American guitarist Tony Rice
* Backwater (band), a jazz fusion band from Mobile, Alabama, or this band's 1976 debut album
* "Backwater", a song by Brian Eno fro ...
reservoirs in
Glen Isla
The River Isla ( gd, Abhainn Ìle) is a tributary of the River Tay in Angus and Perthshire, Scotland. It runs for 46 miles (74 km) through the Kirkton of Glenisla (Clachan Ghlinn Ìle) and Strathmore (An Srath Mòr).
Gallery
File:Footb ...
. Electricity distribution is by
Scottish Hydro Electric plc, part of the
Scottish and Southern Energy group.
Waste management is handled by
Angus Council. From June 2014, there has been a comprehensive
recycling
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...
service in place, succeeding the more limited kerbside recycling scheme introduced in 2005. Recyclable waste (encompassing paper, card, cans, plastics and glass) is now collected fortnightly, on alternate weeks with non-recyclable waste, with households having separate bins for each purpose. (Garden and
food waste are also collected for separate processing.) Roughly two-thirds of non-recyclable material is sent to
landfill
A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the waste ...
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 Queenswell 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 the Abbeygate and Tesco car parks. The Angus Council area had a recycling rate of 34.7% in 2007/08.
[
]
Healthcare
Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...
is supplied in the area by
NHS Tayside. The nearest hospitals with accident and emergency departments are Arbroath Infirmary and
Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. Primary Health Care in Forfar is supplied by several practices, based at Ravenswood Surgery on New Road, Academy Medical Centre in Academy Street and Lour Road Group Practice. Forfar, along with the rest of Scotland is served by the
Scottish Ambulance Service
The Scottish Ambulance Service ( gd, Seirbheis Ambaileans na h-Alba) is part of NHS Scotland, which serves all of Scotland's population. The Scottish Ambulance Service is governed by a special health board and is funded directly by the Health ...
.
As from April 2013, law enforcement is provided by
Police Scotland
Police Scotland ( gd, Poileas Alba), officially the Police Service of Scotland (), is the national police force of Scotland. It was formed in 2013, through the merging of eight regional police forces in Scotland, as well as the specialist service ...
and Forfar is served by
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Notable people
![Eilley Bowers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Eilley_Bowers.jpg)
*
Patrick Abercromby
Patrick Abercromby (1656) was a Scottish people, Scottish physician and antiquarian, noted for being physician to James II of England, King James VII (II of England) and his fervent opposition to the Acts of Union 1707, Act of Union between Sc ...
(16561716),
antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
and physician
*
Eilley Bowers
Alison "Eilley" Oram Bowers (September 6, 1826 – October 27, 1903) was a Scottish American woman who was, in her time, one of the richest women in the United States, and owner of the Bowers Mansion, one of the largest houses in the western Unit ...
, in her time, one of the richest women in the United States, and owner of the
Bowers Mansion
The Bowers Mansion is a mansion located between Reno and Carson City, Nevada. It was built in 1863 by Lemuel "Sandy" Bowers and his wife, Eilley Orrum Bowers, and is a prime example of the homes built in Nevada by the new millionaires of the Co ...
, one of the then-largest houses in the western United States. She was a Scottish farmer's daughter who emigrated, after converting to the
LDS Church as a teenager.
*
Willie Brown (19282017), footballer.
*
James Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
, BBC journalist
*
Caroline Doig
Caroline Doig (1938 – 14 November 2019) was a paediatric surgeon and the first woman to be elected to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh council.
Early life and education
Doig was born in Forfar, Scotland, in 1938. She attended the ...
(19382019), paediatric surgeon and the first woman to be elected to the council of the
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...
.
*
David Don (1799–1841), botanist.
*
George Duncan (18841965), Church of Scotland minister
*
Peter Ritchie Calder
Peter Ritchie Calder, Baron Ritchie-Calder, (1906 – 1982) was a Scottish socialist writer, journalist and academic.
Early life
Peter Ritchie Calder was born on 1 July 1906 in Forfar, Angus, Scotland.
Career
Calder first worked as a journ ...
(1906–1982), socialist writer, journalist, and academic
*
Prince Edward,
Earl of Forfar. HRH visited the town in June 2019 after being granted the title in March of the same year. He was presented with an Earl of Forfar
tartan
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
*
James Simpson Fleming
James Simpson Fleming FRSE (1828-1899) was a Scottish lawyer and banker. From 1858 to 1871 he was a partner in the legal firm of McGrigor, Stevenson & Fleming. In the 1870s he was responsible for introducing the Royal Bank of Scotland to London ...
FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
(1828–1899), banking lawyer
*
Kathryn Findlay
Kathryn Findlay (26 January 1953 – 10 January 2014) was a Scottish architect.
Early life and education
Findlay was born in Forfar in Scotland, the daughter of a sheep farmer, and studied fine arts at the Edinburgh College of Art. She moved to ...
, architect
*
David Ireland (colonel), Colonel in the United States Army during American Civil War. Commanded the 137th New York Infantry Regiment during crucial battles such as the
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...
. Born in Forfar
*
Very Rev Dr John Ker minister of Forfar 1745 to 1781, Moderator in 1776
*
George Langlands
George Milne Langlands (1886–1951) was a Scottish footballer who played as an inside left for Dundee and Forfar Athletic. He was a member of the Dundee team that won the Scottish Cup in 1910 (in the first of three matches in the final, he scor ...
, footballer (primarily
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland, founded in 1893. The team are nicknamed "The Dark Blues" or "The Dee". The club plays its home matches at Dens Park.
The club was formed after a merg ...
)
[
* ]Jack Lorimer Jack "Jock" Lorimer (1883–1920) was a popular music hall entertainer. Originally from Forres
Forres (; gd, Farrais) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west ...
, well known comedian and father of Max Wall
Max Wall (12 March 1908 – 21 May 1990) was an English actor and comedian whose performing career covered music hall, films, television and theatre.
Early years
Wall was born Maxwell George Lorimer, son of the successful music hall entert ...
* David McLean (18901967), footballer, played for both Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
and Rangers
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
, ended his career at Forfar Athletic
* George McLean (18981970), footballer, younger brother of David, also finished his career with Forfar Athletic[
* ]A. S. Neill
Alexander Sutherland Neill (17 October 1883 – 23 September 1973) was a Scottish educator and author known for his school, Summerhill, and its philosophy of freedom from adult coercion and community self-governance. Raised in Scotland, Neill ...
(18831973), educator
* David W. Potter
David W. Potter (born 29 August 1948) is a Scottish sports writer who has published more than fifty books, primarily on Scottish football and cricket.
Career
He taught Spanish and Classics at Glenrothes High School from 1971 – 2003 and t ...
, sports author
* Ian Read, CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of Pfizer
Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...
* Enn Reitel
Enn Reitel (born 21 June 1950) is a Scottish actor who specialises in voice work in video games, movies and TV shows.
Early life
Reitel's family arrived in Scotland as refugees from Estonia and Germany. He trained as an actor at the Central S ...
, actor
* Bon Scott, rock n' roll singer from the band AC/DC
AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...
.
* David Taylor (19542014), former Joint General Secretary
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
of UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
and Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and the Scottish FA; sco, Scots Fitba Association; Scottish Gaelic: ''Comann Ball-coise na h-Alba'') is the Sport governing body, governing body of association football, football in Scot ...
(SFA).
* Joseph Wedderburn (18821948), mathematician, modern algebra, born in Forfar
Freedom of the Town
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Town of Forfar.
Individuals
* HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother: 1956.
Military Units
* The Black Watch: 1956.
References
External links
Local Community Website for Forfar, Angus
Photographs of Forfar on the Geograph web site
History of the town and photographs
*
{{authority control
County towns in Scotland
Towns in Angus, Scotland
Royal burghs