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 Edzell Castle |
 Montrose Harbour |
 Stonehaven |
The settlement at the northern end of this area is Stonehaven, which comes complete with its old town and harbour area. This is a town that has kept much of its earlier charm and attracts large numbers of visitors as a result.
A little to the south of Stonehaven is another magnet for visitors, Dunnottar Castle, stunningly located on a rocky outcrop nearly surrounded by sea. South again are the old fishing villages of Crawton and Catterline,the latter better known as home to a group of artists in the 1900s.
The importance of fishing is less obvious in Inverbervie, where the original harbour became blocked by a shingle bar. But not far down the coast are the traditional fishing villages of Gourdon. and Johnshaven.
Montrose itself is an attractive mix of active port, market town and seaside resort. The town sits intriguingly between the North Sea to its east and the Montrose Basin to the west. It offers a wide range of tourist services and benefits from lying on the main railway line to Aberdeen. At the north end of Montrose is the site of Britain's first operational military airfield, established by the Royal Flying Corps in 1913, and reopened in WWII. Part of it is now home to the Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre.
Head inland from Montrose and, after passing the House of Dun, you come to the ancient cathedral town of Brechin. Brechin is bypassed by the A90, the main dual carriageway from Dundee to Aberdeen. Following it back towards Dundee brings you to Forfar, the country town of Angus and historically an important centre for the Picts, something that is very obvious from the many pictish stones found in the area.
North from Brechin is the attractive village of Edzell, and the nearby Edzell Castle, complete with its magnificent walled garden. Five miles north east brings you to Fettercairn, a beauiful village in its own right and home to one of the country's most attractive distilleries, Fettercairn Distillery. This lies at the southern end of the famous Cairn O'Mount road providing a short cut over the hills to Banchory and Deeside.
Travelling south along the coast from Montrose brings you to Lunan Bay, a stunning swathe of sand beneath dunes and low cliffs which concludes at Boddin Point. Lunan Bay comes complete with its own ruined castle.
The main coastal settlement in the area south of Montrose is Arbroath, about fifteen miles north east of Dundee. The town is home to the historically important Arbroath Abbey, though to some its name is best known for the Arbroath Smokie, a smoked haddock still produced in smokehouses around the old harbour. South east again brings you to Carnoustie, a town that largely revolves around its world famous golf course.
