Are you looking for an off-the-beaten-track town to visit for the weekend away in Scotland? Visit Montrose and its surroundings on the East Coast!
To be honest, I have never heard of Montrose until my husband suggested that we would go and visit the town for his birthday. It took me a while to find some information about Montrose. I guess it’s not that well promoted and it doesn’t really make it into the travel blogs and destination guides.
I found that there is a lot to do and see in Montrose and you might even need more than a weekend to explore it all in full. We were also blessed with amazing hot weather and a blue sky which certainly helped.
Where is Montrose?
Montrose is a charming Scottish coastal town in Angus, which sits on the East Coast between the cities of Dundee and Aberdeen. It lies between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers and has a population of about 12 000 people.
Where to stay in Montrose?
We stayed at The Limes Guest House near the high street in Montrose. Very friendly staff and a huge excellent breakfast.
Top 11 Things to See and Do in Montrose
1. Heritage Trail
I would definitely start with the Montrose Heritage Trail. It takes about 90 mins and it gives you a pretty good idea of the town layout and its historic buildings. It starts at the Steeple of the parish church. The church spire is one of the tallest in Scotland.
The high street is full of beautiful houses although sadly a bit run down. It would be lovely if they were restored back to their former glory. Take time and appreciate the beautiful details of Montrose architecture.
2. Montrose Beach
Take a walk along the golden sands of 3 miles long Montrose beach which is popular with families and dog walkers. It has a promenade and fine views over to the Scurdie Ness Lighthouse. Kids can play at the Seafront Splash area with pools and playground and there is also an ice cream parlour. The lovely-looking pavilion built in 1913 houses public toilets. Free parking at the car park is a bonus.
3. Sea Dog Bamse Statue
Bamse (Norwegian for “teddy bear”), was a 14 stone St Bernard dog who lived during the Second World War. He was owned by Captain Erling Hafto of the Norwegian Navy.
Bamse went to see with him on the minesweeper Thorrod during the war. After Norway fell to the Germans in 1940, the Thorodd operated from Dundee and Montrose, where Bamse became well known and much-loved figure. He escorted the Thorodd’s crew members back to the boat at pub closing time, travelling on the local buses, breaking up fights and even taking part in football matches.
Bamse died in 1944 and in his memory, a statue of him was unveiled in 2006 by HRH Prince Andrew in Montrose.
4. Montrose Basin
Montrose Basin is an enclosed estuary of the South Esk river covering 750 hectares of tidal mudflats offering feeding and roosting ground to a wide variety of bird species. These include pink-footed geese, red knot and common redshank, common shelduck, wigeon and common eider ducks. You may also spot swans, oystercatchers and northern lapwings as well as smaller birds. There are I think 4 bird hides at the basin.
There are some fantastic walks at Montrose Basin. Please note that walks on the reserve take place from different car parks. There are no walks from the visitor centre, run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Please refer to the Scottish Wildlife Trust website for details.
If you are not a member of SWT, admission to the visitor centre is £4.50 at the time of writing this post. If you forget your own binoculars, they are provided together with telescopes at their Viewing Gallery. There is also a cafe and toilets. You can also take a look at the Montrose Basin website for more information.
NEARBY: How to visit Elephant Rock and Boddin Point Lime Kilns, Angus, Scotland
6. House of Dun
William Adams’s Georgian House of Dun is a National Trust for Scotland property situated just outside of Montrose. It was built in 1743 to replace the medieval tower house that had been home to the Erskine family from 1375 until 1980.
You can book a guided tour of the house, explore the formal gardens and have lunch in their cafe. We also went for a woodland walk at the estate. Finally, we walked the Lady Augusta’s Walk which was very pretty.
You can easily spend a day at House of Dun – a fantastic day out for all the family.
7. Lunan Bay Beach
Only a 10 mins drive from Montrose, you can find a mile-long sandy beach Lunan Bay. It is claimed to be one of the best beaches in Angus and even in Scotland. The beach is accessible via sand dunes from the free car park. Walk around the secluded bay and look for gemstones while enjoying the views of the sea and the historic Red Castle perching up on the hill.
The beach is particularly popular with families for swimming as well as watersports, fishing and lovely walks with or without dogs.
We had a lovely lunch at Imries’ Bar and Grill which is a part of the Lunan House Hotel. There is also a cafe opposite the car park.
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8. Red Castle
If you are headed to Lunan Bay you cannot miss the Red Castle of Lunan. The castle is a ruined, fortified house built for King William the Lion in the late twelfth century to repel the Viking invasions of Lunan Bay. You will find only the remains of the 15th-century keep and the surrounding wall. In 1999 the castle was described as being in imminent danger of collapse so take extra care when visiting the castle.
9. Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre
Entirely run by volunteers, the Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre opened in 1992. It is located on the site of the former Montrose Air Station which opened in 1913 as the first military airfield in Great Britain. You will find out about the lives of people who served and lived in the area as well as photographs and memorabilia. Aviation enthusiasts will appreciate the variety of aircraft exhibited within the grounds of the museum.
10. Scurdie Ness Lighthouse
If you fancy stretching your legs a bit, put your walking boots on and head to the Scurdie Ness lighthouse near Ferryden. The coastal walk is about 2 miles there and back and the walk is easy and flat. This route is also a part of the Angus Coastal Path so you can continue on past the lighthouse if you fancy a longer walk.
11. Elephant Rock
We also went for a walk to see Elephant Rock and Boddin Point Lime Kilns. It’s about 4 miles from Montrose and we really enjoyed the walk. If you are visiting Montrose or the nearby area I highly recommend it.
Is Montrose worth a visit?
Absolutely! Depending on your interest, there are plenty of things to see and do in and around Montrose.
You won’t probably see it all in one weekend, but as above we packed quite a lot in two days. I am sure we will visit again and will include Montrose Museum and Art Gallery and also I would like to walk around the St Cyrus National Nature Reserve too.
Have you visited Montrose? Is it on your list?
Let me know in the comments below the post. 🙂
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I will be honest when I say, like you, Montrose hadn’t appeared on my radar before I read this post, but what a glorious place it looks; I love that they honoured the dog with a statue. The coastline as with most of Scotland looks like a special place to hike and that beach on a summer’s day looks lovely.