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Brechin (; gd, Breichin) is a city and former Royal burgh in
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 ...
. Traditionally Brechin was described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre- Reformation Roman Catholic diocese (which continues today as an
episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...
seat of the Scottish Episcopal Church), but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era. Nevertheless, the designation is often used, with examples being the City of Brechin and District Community Council, City of Brechin and Area Partnership, City of Brechin Civic Trust and Brechin City Football Club. Kinnaird Castle is nearby. Brechin is located slightly closer 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 ...
than Aberdeen and is located on the A90 between the cities. It is the fourth largest settlement of Angus.


History

In the centre of Brechin is a small museum in the Brechin Town House, and an award-winning tourist attraction, the Caledonian Railway. Along with the cathedral and
round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and ful ...
, part of the chapel of Brechin's ''Maison Dieu'' or hospital survives from the Middle Ages; the Maison Dieu was founded before 1267 by William de Brechin. The Maison Dieu chapel is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. The Bank Street drill hall was completed in 1879. The Guildry Incorporation of Brechin was formed in 1629 by merchants and traders in the Burgh and in 1666 obtained recognition of its rights under Decree of the Convention of Burghs. The Guildry's historic purposes have been assumed by local government and its current functions are social and civic.


Religion


Brechin Cathedral

The town is well known for its cathedral, with eleventh century
round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and ful ...
( Historic Environment Scotland), one of only two of these Irish-style monuments surviving in Scotland (the other is at
Abernethy Abernethy may refer to: Places Scotland * Abernethy, Perth and Kinross, a village ** Abernethy (NBR) railway station, a former railway station in this village * Nethy Bridge, Highland, a village formerly known as Abernethy * Abernethy Forest, a ...
,
Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
). The tower was originally free-standing, but is now incorporated in the framework of the cathedral. The cathedral has been much altered, but still contains medieval work of the 13th and 14th centuries, notably a handsome western tower and processional door.


Scottish Episcopal Church

In 1695, following the
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
, the town's
Episcopalians Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
were driven out of Brechin Cathedral which remained under the control of the Church of Scotland. A meeting house was set up in the High Street with a chapel being built in 1743. Following the Jacobite rising of 1745, the chapel's seats and books were destroyed by government forces and the chapel was taken over by a qualified congregation. A new Episcopalian Church, St Andrews Church was built in 1809 and consecrated in June 1811. This was replaced by a new building in 1888. St Andrews Church is part of the
Diocese of Brechin The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brechin, also known as the Diocese of Angus, was one of the thirteen pre-Reformation dioceses of Scotland. History The diocese was believed to have been founded by Bishop Samson in 1153, and based at the cathedr ...
and its archives are held by the University of Dundee.


Governance

Brechin is represented within Angus Council by the Brechin & Edzell ward, from which three councillors are elected.


Education

Education in Brechin is managed by the Education Department of Angus Council. There is one
secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
in the area;
Brechin High School Brechin High School is a non-denominational secondary school in Brechin, Angus, Scotland Admissions It has approximately 660 students, and real listically 4 staff. The school has a relationship with the town's cathedral stretching back to the ea ...
and four feeder primary schools; Andover Primary school, Edzell Primary School, Maisondieu Primary School and Stracathro Primary School.


Sport

Brechin City F.C. Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the townDespite the name of the football club, Brechin is not an official city. Brechin was historically known as a city because it has a cathedral. of Brechin in Angus. The club ...
contest in the
Highland Football League The Scottish Highland Football League (SHFL, commonly known as the Highland League) is a senior football league based in the north of Scotland. The league sits at level 5 on the Scottish football league system The Scottish football league syst ...
at its stadium Glebe Park. Glebe Park is the only senior football ground in Europe which has a hedge along one of its perimeters. Brechin is also home to the junior football club Brechin Victoria who play at Victoria Park.


Transportation

Brechin was previously served by
Brechin railway station Brechin is a station in Angus, on the Caledonian Railway line. History The station opened for business on 1 February 1848. Initially four trains per day ran between Brechin and Montrose. The fare between Brechin and Montrose was 1s.4d First Cl ...
, a terminus of several lines. It was closed to passengers in 1952, but has since reopened as part of the Caledonian Railway heritage railway. The single-carriageway bypass of Brechin was dualled and reopened in March 1994, completing the dualling of the newly numbered A90 between Perth and Aberdeen.


Notable people

* Dame Anne Begg, former Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South. * Sir David de Brechin (d. 1320), Lord of Brechin. * Joseph Fairweather Lamb, academic and former Chandos Chair of Physiology at the University of St Andrews. * James McCosh Church of Scotland and
Free Church A free church is a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church does not define government policy, and a free church does not accept church theology or policy definitions from ...
minister at Brechin. Later president of Princeton University * David Myles, former MP for
Banffshire Banffshire ; sco, Coontie o Banffshire; gd, Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Moray ...
and public servant. * Robin Orr, composer. * Robert Watson-Watt, radar pioneer, born in Brechin.


Gallery

File:Door to Brechin Round Tower.jpg, Door to Brechin Round Tower File:John the Scot.svg, Coat of arms of Brechin, based on the arms of Henry, Lord of Brechin


See also

* Battle of Brechin * List of places in Angus * Brechin Castle, seat of the
Earls of Dalhousie Earl of Dalhousie, in the County of Midlothian, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, held by the Chief of Clan Ramsay. History The family descends from Sir George Ramsay, who represented Kincardineshire in the Scottish Parliament in 1617. ...
since the late 20th century


References


External links


Brechin Online
Local Community Website for Brechin.
Brechin Advertiser
- local newspaper
Brechin Town House Museum

Brechin Environment
{{Authority control Towns in Angus, Scotland