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Brechin

Coordinates:56°43′48″N2°39′19″W/ 56.72994°N 2.65533°W/56.72994; -2.65533
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For other uses, seeBrechin (disambiguation).

Brechin
Brechin is located in Angus
Brechin
Brechin
Location withinAngus
Population7,230 (2022)[2]
DemonymBrechiner
OS grid referenceNO600600
Community council
  • City of Brechin and District
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBRECHIN
Postcode districtDD9
Dialling code01356
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
56°43′48″N2°39′19″W/ 56.72994°N 2.65533°W/56.72994; -2.65533

Brechin(/ˈbriːxɪn/;Scottish Gaelic:Breichin) is a town and formerroyal burghinAngus, Scotland.Traditionally Brechin was described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-ReformationRoman Catholicdiocese(which continues today as anepiscopalseat of theScottish Episcopal Church), but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era.[3][4]

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 andBrechin City Football Club.[5]Kinnaird Castleis nearby. Brechin is located slightly closer toDundeethanAberdeenon theA90between the cities. It is the fourth largest settlement of Angus.

History

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Brechin Town House

In the centre of Brechin is a smallmuseumin theBrechin Town House,and an award-winning tourist attraction, theCaledonian Railway.[6][7]Along with the cathedral andround tower,part of thechapelof Brechin'sMaison Dieuor hospital survives from theMiddle Ages;the Maison Dieu was founded before 1267 by William de Brechin.[8]The Maison Dieu chapel is in the care ofHistoric Environment Scotland.[9]TheBank Street drill hallwas completed in 1879.[10]

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.[11]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 toStorm Babet.

Religion

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Brechin Cathedral

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Main article:Brechin Cathedral

The town is well known for its cathedral, with eleventh centuryround tower(Historic Environment Scotland), one of only two of theseIrish-style monuments surviving in Scotland (the other is atAbernethy,Perthshire). The tower was originally free-standing, but is now incorporated in the framework of the cathedral.

Thecathedralhas been much altered, but still containsmedievalwork of the 13th and 14th centuries, notably a handsome western tower and processional door.

Scottish Episcopal Church

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In 1695, following theGlorious Revolution,the town'sEpiscopalianswere driven out of Brechin Cathedral which remained under the control of theChurch of Scotland.A meeting house was set up in the High Street with a chapel being built in 1743. Following theJacobite rising of 1745,the chapel's seats and books were destroyed by government forces and the chapel was taken over by aqualified 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 theDiocese of Brechinand its archives are held by theUniversity of Dundee.[12]

Governance

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Brechin is represented withinAngus Councilby three councillors who represent theBrechin & 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 theAngus and Perthshire Glens constituency.

Education

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Education in Brechin is managed by the Education Department ofAngus Council.There is onesecondary schoolin the area;Brechin High Schooland four feederprimary schools;Andover Primary school, Edzell Primary School, Maisondieu Primary School and Stracathro Primary School.[13]

Public services

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Brechin Infirmary was designed by local architect William Fettis (or Fettes)[14]and opened in 1869 byFox Maule-Ramsay, 11th Earl of Dalhousie.[15]On opening, the hospital had beds for up to 30 patients.[16]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.[15]The infirmary closed in 2015 and looks set to be demolished.[17]A parochial lodging house for paupers (apoor house) was opened in grounds next to the infirmary in 1880. It had accommodation for eighty persons in eleven wards.[18]Renamed St Drostan's House, it was later used by Angus Council as a care home for the elderly.[19]

Sport

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Brechin City F.C.contest in theHighland Football Leagueat its stadiumGlebe 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 thejuniorfootball clubBrechin Victoriawho play at Victoria Park.

Brechin Golf Clubwas 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 famousJames Braidwas 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

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The nearestNational Railstation is atMontrose,which is a stop on theDundee–Aberdeen line.[20]The town was previously served byBrechin railway station,a terminus of several lines. It was closed to passengers in 1952, but has since reopened as part of theCaledonian Railwayheritage line.

Local bus services are operated predominantly byStagecoach East Scotland.Key routes connect the town with Arbroath, Dundee and Montrose.[21]

The single-carriageway bypass of Brechin was dualled and reopened in March 1994, completing the upgrade of the newly numberedA90between Perth and Aberdeen.[22]

Notable people

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  • Coat of arms of Brechin, based on the arms of Henry, Lord of Brechin
    Coat of arms of Brechin, based on the arms of Henry, Lord of Brechin

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba - Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland".Gaelicplacenames.org. Archived fromthe originalon 28 October 2012.Retrieved5 March2014.
  2. ^"Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland".National Records of Scotland.31 March 2022.Retrieved31 March2022.
  3. ^Beckett, J V,City status in the British Isles, 1830–2002,Historical urban studies. Aldershot 2005
  4. ^"UK Cities".Department for Constitutional Affairs. 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 17 January 2009.Retrieved15 August2008.
  5. ^City of Brechin & District Area Partnership."Members".Archived fromthe originalon 5 January 2009.Retrieved15 August2008.
  6. ^"Welcome to The Friends of Brechin Town House Museum Website - Home".brechintownhouse.org.uk.Retrieved1 January2019.
  7. ^"Welcome to the Caledonian Railway | Caledonian Railway".caledonianrailway.com.Retrieved1 January2019.
  8. ^"Brechin, Maisondieu Lane, Maisondieu Chapel | Canmore".canmore.org.uk.Retrieved1 January2019.
  9. ^"Maison Dieu Chapel".www.historicenvironment.scot.Retrieved1 January2019.
  10. ^"Angus Classic Interiors, (former Drill Hall), 13 Bank Street, Brechin".British listed buildings.Retrieved23 June2017.
  11. ^"The Guildry of Brechin | Court of Deans of Guild of Scotland".www.deansofguildscotland.co.uk.Retrieved1 January2019.
  12. ^"BrMS 16 Records of St Andrew's Episcopal Church, Brechin".Archive Services Online Catalogue.University of Dundee.Retrieved13 July2018.
  13. ^"Schools in Brechin".Retrieved30 June2008.
  14. ^"Brechin Infirmary at Dictionary of Scottish Architects - DSA Building/Design Report".www.scottisharchitects.org.uk.Retrieved4 February2023.
  15. ^abRichardson, Harriet (13 May 2019)."Brechin Infirmary and St Drostan's House".Historic Hospitals.Retrieved4 February2023.
  16. ^"General news".Barnsley Chronicle.8 May 1869. p. 3.Retrieved4 February2023– viaBritish Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^Brown, Graham (23 January 2023)."Planners clear way for bulldozers to move in on Brechin Infirmary to create site for more than 40 houses".The Courier.Retrieved4 February2023.
  18. ^"Opening of the new parochial lodging-house".The Brechin Advertiser.16 March 1880. p. 3 – viaBritish Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^Brown, Graham (13 October 2012)."Anger as council reveals care home is to close".The Courier.p. 6.Retrieved5 February2023– viaPressReader.
  20. ^"Timetables".ScotRail.May 2023.Retrieved20 October2023.
  21. ^"Brechin Bus Services".Bus Times.2023.Retrieved20 October2023.
  22. ^A90 Completion of Dualling - Perth to Aberdeen - 1994.HMSO. p. 7.Retrieved17 August2020.
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