Kirriemuir Heritage

I had a free Friday and Nicole was heading up to Dundee for her university course. As I've done on several occasions, I hitched a lift and then took the car out of the city for an explore. Today I headed north to the small town of Kirriemuir - sometimes known as the Gateway to the Angus Glens. We had stopped here briefly on an earlier occasion and this time I planned to conduct a more thorough investigation.

For over a century, Kirriemuir's heritage has been bound up with Sir James Matthew Barrie, creator of the Peter Pan character. In more recent times, the town has become known internationally as the birthplace of Bon Scott - former frontman of rock giants AC/DC. I pulled into the car-park where Scott's statue is situated. It was this location I'd previously sought out while passing through Kirriemuir. A handful of overseas visitors were milling around, having their photo taken and reading the extensive information boards about Bon's life. The monument is a tourist draw in itself but a far bigger AC/DC themed attraction is the annual Bonfest. Several thousand fans come from across the globe to attend the three-day event which features a wide programme of bands. I'll write more about the AC/DC connection later in the post. My next port of call was the museum located within the old Town House. Officially titled Gateway to the Glens, the museum is open from Wednesday to Saturday all year round. I was the only visitor but two French women arrived shortly afterwards, asking for directions to the Bon Scott statue, proving my earlier point about music tourism. I was mightily impressed when they lady behind the counter switched from Angus brogue to mellifluous francais! The 1604 B-listed building (the oldest in Kirriemuir) hasn't had an administrative function since the 1880s and was subsequently converted to a post office, followed by various retail use. By the end of the 20th century, the premises were in a dilapidated condition and the local council stepped in to establish the museum. The restored facility offers displays over two floors and the ground level is dedicated to the history of Kirriemuir and its people. I learned the town came into being in 1459 as a free Burgh of Barony. This conferred different rights to those of a Royal Burgh. Kirriemuir had no foreign trade links but was permitted to hold a weekly market and employ resident craftsmen. I saw a model of nearby Forter Castle, built in 1560 by local landowner James Ogilvy, Lord of Airlie. It was burned down in 1640 in retribution for the family's loyalty to the House of Stuart and Catholic religion. The castle lay in ruins for centuries but in 1988 was purchased by Robert Pooley, who restored the building in cooperation with Scottish Heritage. It is now marketed as a luxury retreat and can host weddings and other intimate events. I picked up a leaflet outlining a town heritage trail and stashed it in my pocket.

Kirriemuir grew around the weaving industry. Initially performed on handlooms within cottages, the production process expanded into factories as demand rocketed during the second half of the 19th century. The town also has a tradition of baking and confectionary which is evident today as you stroll around the winding streets. The County of Angus contains rich agricultural land and a railway branch to Kirriemuir was completed by 1861. The line closed to passengers in 1952 and goods traffic was withdrawn in 1965. A similar fate befell several other local routes. Kirriemuir's main literary export is of course JM Barrie, who was born in the town in 1860. His best-known work is Peter Pan. Generations of children around the globe have been enchanted by tales of the mischievous young boy who never grew up and had the ability to fly. His adventures on the Island of Neverland saw him interact with a colourful array of characters and Barrie's creation has crossed over into cinema and TV productions many times. Barrie was a close friend of famed polar explorer Sir Robert Falcon Scott and a letter to Barrie was retrieved from Scott's final encampment - where the remaining men perished in blizzard conditions. Barrie eventually died of pneumonia in London aged 77. He was interred alongside his parents and siblings in his home town. His birthplace on Brechin Road is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is open to the public. I proceeded upstairs to view the second gallery in the museum. The space is given over to the wider Angus Glens area but a cabinet full of AC/DC memorabilia was also present. The southern part of Cairngorms National Park (established 2003) contains the Angus Glens. Ten Munros (mountains over 3000 feet) can be found here. Indeed, Sir Hugh Munro himself hailed from around these parts. Generations of farming communities faced major change as the 20th century wore on. The mass mechanisation of agriculture saw working horses and manpower fall by the wayside. This ultimately led to depopulation of the glens. Many areas now rely heavily upon tourism and commercial game shooting. The gallery contained extensive information about the local wildlife and a glass case exhibited several stuffed specimens. Fortunately the red squirrel thrives here. I also discovered a network of Roman camps, forts and signal towers had been erected between 80 and 400 AD. The museum didn't neglect flora and I was surprised to read that larch isn't actually a native British tree - having been introduced from the continent in 1629. I can thoroughly recommend the museum and entry is free. You can see everything comfortably in just over an hour. It was time to move on and I found Barrie's birthplace after a few minutes walk. Three plaques were prominently displayed on the white harled wall of a weaver's house. Barrie and his seven siblings lived in two upstairs rooms, while his father’s loom clattered on the ground floor. The budding author began performing his own plays at the age of seven in the property's wash house. It is said this outbuilding may even have inspired the famous Wendy house in the Peter Pan stories. An exhibition tells the story of his life and work, and includes the writing desk from Barrie’s London flat. A jungle-themed garden lies to the rear. Admission was a reasonable £8.50 but I wanted to complete a walking circuit of the town before heading back to Dundee. I opted to leave the Barrie Birthplace for another day. A striking statue of Peter Pan stands in the centre of Kirriemuir. Cast in bronze, the horn-playing figure was unveiled in 1994 to replace an earlier artwork that had suffered damage.

Next on the agenda was a wander through The Den - a peaceful area of green space just a short stroll from the main square. The land was gifted to the public in 1867 and there are paths at various levels. I walked alongside the Gairie Burn which enters the parkland via an impressive waterfall at the northern end. I cut through a modern housing estate (passing Bon Scott Place) as I headed towards Kirrie Hill on the edge of town. I skirted the cemetery where JM Barrie rests, but decided to push on towards the 633-foot summit. Barrie Pavilion stands by a cricket field, where the man himself played in his youth. He paid for its construction out of his own pocket and donated the building to the townsfolk. A camera obscura (one of only three in Scotland) was installed in a purposely designed turret room. The device uses lenses and mirrors to project an image through a hole at roof level and downwards onto a circular screen, housed in a darkened room. The device can be rotated to produce a 360-degree panorama of the outside surroundings. Visitors are treated to projections of the Angus Glens, Sidlaw Hills and the distant Grampian Mountains. Operated by the National Trust, the camera obscura is open during the summer months. Viewers in the old days must have marvelled at the colourful imagery in a time when cinema screens showed only black & white. I pressed on towards the modest summit and was rewarded with nice views across Strathmore. A standing stone - almost eight feet tall and thought to date from the Bronze Age - loomed nearby and is apparently one of several ancient monoliths erected in the local area many moons ago. Their exact use remains a mystery but could have involved religious ritual, boundary marking or even an early type of calendar. I certainly felt the energy! It was time to head back towards the town centre and a straight course took me down a charming old street called simply Roods. The Star Rock Shop trades here and is reckoned to be the oldest confectionary retailer in Scotland, having been established in 1833. JM Barrie apparently had a few treats mailed to him down in London on a regular basis. A taste of the homeland! I passed the Tayside Police Museum and made a mental note to return to Kirriemuir and visit the attractions I couldn't fit into today's schedule. The Star Rock website offers all manner of sweets for sale and I resolved to place an order to give the business some support.

Back at the Bon Scott statue, I sat in the car and listened to a bit of AC/DC. Ronald Belford Scott was born in 1946 and his father worked in the local family bakery. Seeking a new challenge, the family moved down under in 1953, settling in Freemantle, Western Australia. Here, young Ron was swiftly christened Bon by his new classmates, the term being a contraction of Bonnie Scotland. AC/DC were formed in 1974 but Bon was almost a decade older than the Young brothers (Angus and Malcolm), fellow emigrant Scots who shared guitar duties and ran the band. Bon had already experienced success fronting an assortment of groups on the Australian scene and one of them - Fraternity - tried their luck in the UK. Following the demise of this venture, Bon hooked up with the Youngs, replacing original frontman Dave Evans and through sheer slog, AC/DC worked their way up to domestic success before flying to London in an attempt to gain wider appeal. A series of well-received albums saw the band make firm progress in Europe, but the American market remained out of reach. That changed when Highway to Hell, released in 1979, propelled the band to global headlining status. The next recording was widely expected to cement AC/DC as one of the biggest rock acts in the world. Back in Black did just that, but unfortunately Bon wasn't present. He was found unresponsive in a parked car in February 1980, at the age of 33. His death certificate lists acute alcohol poisoning as the cause. The band recruited Brian Johnson and to this day fill stadiums across the world (Malcolm Young passed away in 2017). Back in Black is one of the most successful albums of all time, selling around 50 million copies. Bon may not have been on vocals but his trademark turns of phrase percolate the songs' DNA (although he's not formally credited). Bonfest 2023 offers a slew of bands (many of whom perform AC/DC material) across local pubs, the Town Hall and the main arena, a marquee holding 2000 spectators. Tickets cost £40 per day and range of accommodation options are available. Kirriemuir will be rocking for years to come!