Brechin

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, part of the chapel of Brechin's Maison Dieu or hospital survives from the Middle Ages. The Maison Dieu was founded by William de Brechin before 1267, with an older source indicating a founding about 1256 since the charter was witnessed by Albin, who was Bishop of Brechin from 1247 to 1269. William de Brechin made a second grant of a "right of a road" in 1267. 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. On 19 October 2023, residents of the town were evacuated due to Storm Babet.

On 5 March 2025, the disused Maison Dieu church was damaged by a fire.

Religion

Brechin Cathedral

Main article: Brechin Cathedral

The town is well known for its cathedral, with eleventh century round tower (Historic Environment Scotland), one of only two of these Irish-style monuments surviving in Scotland (the other is at Abernethy, Perthshire). 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 town's Episcopalians 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 and its archives are held by the University of Dundee.

Governance

Brechin is represented within Angus Council by three councillors who represent the Brechin & Edzell ward. In the Scottish Parliament, it is part of the Angus North and Mearns constituency and the North East Scotland electoral region. In the UK Parliament, it is part of the Angus and Perthshire Glens constituency.

Education

Education in Brechin is managed by the Education Department of Angus Council. There is one secondary school in the area; Brechin High School and four feeder primary schools; Andover Primary school, Edzell Primary School, Maisondieu Primary School and Stracathro Primary School.

Public services

Brechin Infirmary was designed by local architect William Fettis (or Fettes) and opened in 1869 by Fox Maule-Ramsay, 11th Earl of Dalhousie. On opening, the hospital had beds for up to 30 patients. Four new wards were added in a major extension built circa 1929 and further expansion took place in 1960 when new out-patients and physiotherapy departments were included within a separate new single-storey building. The infirmary closed in 2015 and looks set to be demolished. A parochial lodging house for paupers (a poor house) was opened in grounds next to the infirmary in 1880. It had accommodation for eighty persons in eleven wards. Renamed St Drostan's House, it was later used by Angus Council as a care home for the elderly.

Sport

Brechin City F.C. contest in the Highland Football League 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.

Brechin Golf Club was formed in 1893, at Trinity Muir with a 9 hole course. Records show that by 1924 an agreement had been made to purchase Limefield Farm. In 1926, the famous James Braid was invited to play the course. Braid was so impressed he suggested suitable sites for sand bunkers in the Limefield section of the course. The course was expanded to the current layout to mark its centenary year in June 1993.

Transport

The nearest National Rail station is at , which is a stop on the Dundee–Aberdeen line. The town was previously served by Brechin railway station, a terminus of several lines. It was closed to passengers in 1952, but has since reopened as part of the Caledonian Railway heritage line.

Local bus services are operated predominantly by Stagecoach East Scotland. Key routes connect the town with Arbroath, Dundee and Montrose.

The single-carriageway bypass of Brechin was dualled and reopened in March 1994, completing the upgrade 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.
• William Eddie (1891–1979), Scottish first-class cricketer and Provost.
• Douglas A. H. Graham, British Army Officer
• Thomas Guthrie FRSE (1803–1873), Scottish divine and philanthropist
• Joseph Fairweather Lamb, academic and former Chandos Chair of Physiology at the University of St Andrews.
• James McCosh Church of Scotland and Free Church minister at Brechin. Later president of Princeton University
• David Myles, former MP for Banffshire and public servant.
• Robin Orr, composer.
• Robert Watson-Watt, radar pioneer, born in Brechin.

Gallery

File:John the Scot.svg|Coat of arms of Brechin, based on the arms of Henry, Lord of Brechin, the natural son of David, Earl of Huntingdon

References

References

1. "Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba - Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland". Gaelicplacenames.org.
2. {{Scottish settlement population citation
3. Beckett, J V, ''City status in the British Isles, 1830–2002'', Historical urban studies. Aldershot 2005
4. (2002). "UK Cities". Department for Constitutional Affairs.
5. City of Brechin & District Area Partnership. "Members".
6. "Welcome to The Friends of Brechin Town House Museum Website - Home".
7. "Welcome to the Caledonian Railway {{!}} Caledonian Railway".
8. "Brechin, Maisondieu Lane, Maisondieu Chapel {{!}} Canmore".
9. [https://electricscotland.com/history/brechin/chapter02.htm Chapter II. The History of Brechin from 1260 TO 1560]. The History of Brechin to 1864. Accessed 10 October 2025.
10. "Maison Dieu Chapel".
11. "Angus Classic Interiors, (former Drill Hall), 13 Bank Street, Brechin". British listed buildings.
12. "The Guildry of Brechin {{!}} Court of Deans of Guild of Scotland".
13. (6 March 2025). "Blaze at derelict historic Angus church tackled by fire crews". BBC News.
14. Robson, Andrew. (5 March 2025). "Major fire at Brechin's Maison Dieu Church sees homes evacuated". The Courier.
15. "BrMS 16 Records of St Andrew's Episcopal Church, Brechin". University of Dundee.
16. "Schools in Brechin".
17. "Brechin Infirmary at Dictionary of Scottish Architects - DSA Building/Design Report".
18. Richardson, Harriet. (13 May 2019). "Brechin Infirmary and St Drostan's House".
19. (8 May 1869). "General news". [[Barnsley Chronicle]].
20. Brown, Graham. (23 January 2023). "Planners clear way for bulldozers to move in on Brechin Infirmary to create site for more than 40 houses".
21. (16 March 1880). "Opening of the new parochial lodging-house". The Brechin Advertiser.
22. Brown, Graham. (13 October 2012). "Anger as council reveals care home is to close". The Courier.
23. (May 2023). "Timetables". ScotRail.
24. (2023). "Brechin Bus Services". Bus Times.
25. "A90 Completion of Dualling - Perth to Aberdeen - 1994". HMSO.