Kirriemuir ( , ; ), sometimes called Kirrie or the ''Wee Red Toon'', is a

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

Angus, Scotland Angus (; ) is one of the 32 Local government in Scotland, local government council areas of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Dundee City (council area), Dundee City and Per ...

, United Kingdom. The playwright

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

was born and buried here and a statue of

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

is in the town square.

History

Some of the Kirriemuir Sculptured Stones, a series of late

Pictish Pictish is an extinct Brittonic Celtic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from late antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited number of geog ...

cross slabs, are on display at the

Meffan Institute The Meffan Institute is a museum and art gallery in Forfar, Angus. Opened in 1898, it houses a variety of exhibits of local interest in Angus, including a collection of Pictish stones, particularly the Dunnichen Stone and the Kirriemuir Sculpt ...

Forfar Forfar (; , ) is the county town of Angus, Scotland, 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 had a population of 16,280. The town ...

, and the others can be seen in the Kirriemuir Gateway to the Glens Museum which now occupies the

Kirriemuir Town House Kirriemuir Town House is a municipal structure in the High Street in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland, Angus, Scotland. The structure, which was used as a museum from 2001 to 2023, is a Category B listed building. History The building was commission ...

. The lands of Ummarchie lay in the

feudal barony A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely bee ...

of Kirriemure – then in the

Sheriffdom A sheriffdom is a judicial district in Scotland, led by a sheriff principal. Since 1 January 1975, there have been six sheriffdoms. Each sheriffdom is divided into a series of sheriff court districts, and each sheriff court is presided over by a r ...

of Forfar – and were owned for centuries by the Lauder of

the Bass The Bass Rock, or simply the Bass (), is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland. Approximately offshore, and north-east of North Berwick, it is a steep-sided volcanic plug, at its highest point, and is home ...

family. Alexander Lauder of Ummarchie, Co. Forfar, born about 1504 and a younger brother of Robert Lauder of the Bass, appears in many documents and died at some time in 1580. In October of this year, his younger son Walter had murdered his father's

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

brother James in a religious dispute. Walter was found guilty at Edinburgh on 15 December and beheaded. The eldest son, another Alexander Lauder of Ummarchie, stood surety on 22 March 1600 in an Act of Caution in the Privy Council in a principal for 2000 merks for William Rynd of Kers, who was involved in violent armed feuds between the Lindsays and the Ogilvies. Alexander Lauder of Ummarchie was still living in 1608. Kirriemuir has a history of witchcraft accusations dating back to the 16th century. A pond on the outskirts, known as the Witch Pool, was a

millpond A mill pond (or millpond) is a body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill. Description Mill ponds were often created through the construction of a mill dam or weir (and mill stream) across a waterway. In many places, the co ...

for the 19th-century Meikle Mill. Local amateur historians tend to think this referred to a "mickle" (small) mill, but the reference is to one of James or his son Andrew Meikle's mills, based on ideas picked up in the Netherlands in the 1700s. The Meikles were a family of agricultural engineers from Haddington who were held in high esteem for many generations in . The adjacent "Court Hillock" was shown, during excavations for a housing development, to be no more than a spoil heap left after excavation and cleaning of the pond. Though Kirrimuir's importance as a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

has diminished, its former

jute Jute ( ) is a long, rough, shiny bast fibre that can be Spinning (textiles), spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', of the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ...

factories (now manufacturing synthetics) recall its 19th-century importance as a centre of a home-based

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

industry. Historic features near Kirriemuir include a carved

Pictish stone A Pictish stone is a type of monumental stele, generally carved or incised with symbols or designs. A few have ogham inscriptions. Located in Scotland, mostly north of the River Clyde, Clyde-River Forth, Forth line and on the Eastern side of the ...

known as the

Eassie Stone The Eassie Stone is a Class II Pictish stone of about the mid 8th century AD in the village of Eassie, Angus, Scotland. The stone was found in Eassie burn in the late 18th century and now resides in a purpose-built perspex building in the ruined ...

. It was found in a burn near the village of

Eassie Eassie is a village located along the A94 road in Angus, Scotland. The church in Eassie is dedicated to Saint Fergus, a monk who worked at nearby Glamis. Eassie is noted for the presence of the Eassie Stone, a carved Pictish stone, which resi ...

. Kirriemuir claims the narrowest public footpath in Western Europe; Cat's Close, situated between Grant's Pend and Kirkwynd. It is a mere wide. The family estate of Sir Hugh Munro, who created ''Munro's Tables'' of Scottish mountains over in elevation (which are now called "

munro A Munro (; ) is defined as a mountain in Scotland with a height over , and which is on the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) official list of Munros; there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement. The best known Munro is Ben Nevi ...

s"), is also located near the town. Kirriemuir Gingerbread was created by the baker, Walter Burnett, around 1900, though the recipe was sold to what is now Bell's Food Group, located in Shotts, in the 1940s.

Governance

Kirriemuir is represented within

Angus Council Angus Council is the Local government in Scotland, local authority for Angus, Scotland, Angus, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. History The first election to Angus District Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authori ...

by the Kirriemuir and Dean ward, from which three councillors are elected. As of 2019 these were: Julie Bell (

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, ...

), George Meechan (

) and Ronnie Proctor ( Scottish Conservative and Unionist).

Kirriemuir Town Hall Kirriemuir Town Hall is a municipal structure in Reform Street in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a community events venue, is a Category C listed building. History The first municipal building in the town was the ...

, which was the meeting place of the former burgh council, was completed in 1885.

Culture

The town has three museums: the Gateway to the Glens Museum, Barrie's Birthplace, and the Tayside Police Museum. There was once a museum of

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...

, whose artifacts are now in the Richard Moss Memorial Collection at the

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre The Montrose Air Station Museum is located to the north of Montrose, Angus, Montrose, Angus, Scotland. Montrose has the distinction of having the first operational military airfield in Great Britain and the Heritage Centre is located on the f ...

. There is a

camera obscura A camera obscura (; ) is the natural phenomenon in which the rays of light passing through a aperture, small hole into a dark space form an image where they strike a surface, resulting in an inverted (upside down) and reversed (left to right) ...

, donated by J. M. Barrie, on the hill, offering views to the south and south-west and of the higher hills to the north. Also on the hill and offering views from its southern slopes is the town cemetery, where Barrie is buried in the family grave. There is a silver granite war memorial in the centre of the cemetery, a column surmounted by a kilted soldier looking down across the town and over the broad fields of Strathmore to the

Sidlaws The Sidlaws are a range of hills in the counties of Perthshire and Angus, Scotland, Angus in Scotland that extend for 30 miles (45 km) from Kinnoull Hill, near Perth, Scotland, Perth, northeast to Forfar. A continuation of the Ochils, ...

. Every August a local music team holds a music festival, Live in the Den, featuring local guitar bands. In 2011 it was not held due to flooding.

Setting

Kirriemuir consists mainly of two areas: Northmuir and Southmuir. It sits looking south towards

Glamis Glamis is a small village in Angus, Scotland, located south of Kirriemuir and southwest of Forfar. It is the location of Glamis Castle, the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. History The vicinity of Glamis has prehistoric t ...

and the Sidlaws over Strathmore (one of the most fertile fruit-growing areas in Scotland). Its position at the base of the Angus glens makes it an attractive centre for hill walking on nearby Munros, and for fishing, partridge, pheasant and grouse shooting, and deer-stalking. There is also an 18-hole golf course with views north to

Glen Clova The Five Glens of Angus are the five Highland glens located in the western portion of the Angus region of Scotland. The five glens are, from west to east: Glen Isla Drained by the River Isla. Glen Prosen Drained by the Prosen Water. Glen C ...

and

Glen Doll Glen Doll, also sometimes spelt Glendoll, lies within the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, at the top of Glen Clova, in an area of steep hills, Cirque, corries and Munros. It includes the Corrie Fee National Nature Reserve, which has many endan ...

Schools

Webster's High School is located in Southmuir; Northmuir and Southmuir each have a primary school. Northmuir's replaced Reform Street Primary School, which was in the town centre and demolished to build the Lyell Court Sheltered Housing complex. Southmuir's moved to new premises in 2002, which had been built as part of an extension to Webster's High School. The earlier Southmuir building (once the original Webster's Seminary) was destroyed by fire on 29 October 2006 and has since been demolished.

Parks

The town's two main parks lie in the Gairie Burn glen and on top of Kirriemuir Hill. The Den can be split into two parts. The east Den lies to the east of Bellies Brae (The Commonty) and the west Den to the west of Bellies Brae. This park has a climbing frame and swing set. The Den is prone to flooding, as it lies in a deep valley. This last happened in October 2023. In the far west Den, there is a large Den Waterfall and the Cuttle Well. The Hill with Neverland, or the Peter Pan Play Park as it is sometimes called, is located in Northmuir. This play park with a Peter Pan theme was laid out in November 2010. Smaller parks include Davidson Park in Southmuir and Martin Park off Slade Road.

Sport

Kirriemuir is home to the junior

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club Kirriemuir Thistle. Although Kirriemuir lacks a senior team side, the nearest club in the

Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) is a defunct league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4&nbs ...

is Forfar Athletic in the neighbouring town, one of several Angus clubs to play in the official league system. Kirriemuir also has a wheeled sports area in Martin Park and an all-weather sports pitch at Webster's Leisure Centre adjoining Webster's High School. In the 1880s, Lindertis F.C. from Kirriemuir played in the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Kirriemuir F.C. for one.

Notable people

John Ogilby John Ogilby, Ogelby, or Oglivie (17 November 16004 September 1676) was a Scottish translator, impresario, publisher and cartographer. He was probably at least a half-brother to James Ogilvy, 1st Earl of Airlie, though neither overtly acknowl ...

(also Ogelby, Oglivie) was born in Kirriemuir in November 1600; publisher, translator, impresario and the pioneering cartographer who produced the first road map of England in 1675. *

, creator of

and

Rector of the University of St Andrews The Lord Rector of the University of St Andrews is an elected position, usually also the president of the University Court of the University of St Andrews; the University Court is the supreme governing body of the university. Overview The Rec ...

, was born in Kirriemuir. He called this "wee red toonie" "Thrums" in his novels ''Auld Licht Idylls'', ''A Window in Thrums'', and ''The Little Minister''. "Red" refers to a reddish sandstone used on older buildings in the town, which became a minor tourism destination in response to Barrie. His birthplace on the Brechin road is now a

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

owned by the

National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland () is a Scottish Building preservation and conservation trusts in the UK, conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organisation in Scotland and describes itself as "the charity that cares for, sha ...

. A statue of Peter Pan stands in the square. *

Violet Jacob Violet Jacob (1 September 1863 – 9 September 1946) was a Scottish writer known especially for her historical novel ''Flemington'' and for her poetry, mainly in Scots. She was described by a fellow Scottish poet Hugh MacDiarmid as "the most ...

, poet and novelist, returned widowed from India in 1936, went to live in Kirriemuir, and died there in 1946. *

Jean Cameron Jean Cameron (b. 1921/22 – ), was a World War II Scottish rural postwoman who, at the age of 19, successfully challenged and changed the dress-code for postwomen to permit the wearing of trousers. The uniform trousers were known as 'Camerons' i ...

, a 1940s postwoman in

, pressed successfully for the official dress-code to allow trousers for women delivering mail (commemorated in Kirriemuir). * Scott McKenna, professional footballer playing for Nottingham Forest and Scotland, grew up in Kirriemuir and attended Websters High School. *

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...

, actor, claimed Kirriemuir as his birthplace, but was actually born in London. *

Bon Scott Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980) was an Australian singer who was the second lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. In the July 2004 issue of ''Classic Rock (m ...

, vocalist of

AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...

, was born at the maternity hospital in nearby

in 1946 and lived in Kirriemuir until 1952, when his family emigrated to Australia. A plaque to his memory stands in Cumberland Close. On 26 January 2016, town officials approved plans for a statue of Scott in the Bellies Brae car park. This was unveiled by former AC/DC bass player Mark Evans in April 2016 during the town's annual "Bonfest" event. * Sir David Wilkie, surgeon, was born here in 1882. He befriended Barrie in 1930, when he became

Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh The chancellor is the titular head of the University of Edinburgh. Their duties include conferring academic degree, degrees, promoting the university's image throughout the world, and furthering its interests, both within Scotland and beyond. The ...

, due to their common home town. *Victoria Cross awardees: Captain

Charles Lyell Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet, (14 November 1797 – 22 February 1875) was a Scottish geologist who demonstrated the power of known natural causes in explaining the earth's history. He is best known today for his association with Charles ...

, Corporal

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

, and Private Charles Melvin resided in Kirriemuir. * Ryan Kopel, actor and singer.

Twin towns/sister cities

Volvic Volvic () is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. The church at Volvic is dedicated to “St Priest” ( Projectus), who is reputed to have been killed here in 676 AD. Population International relations ...

, France famous for its mineral water. * Kerrimuir, in the eastern suburbs of

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia, is named after this town.

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Angus, Scotland Burghs Witchcraft in Scotland