10 Things To Do In Angus: All With Fascinating Stories

There are so many things to do in Angus, but it’s easily one of Scotland’s most underrated regions. Visitors often drive through it to reach the castles of Aberdeenshire or round it towards the alluring Highlands. Unfortunately, those who do are missing out on a whole host of activities and some fascinating Angus stories.

No matter what you’re interested in, you can find it on a visit to Angus. From the coastal towns and beaches, to lavish castles and historic ruins, to the solitude of the Angus Glens and hills. If you want access to a bustling city then Dundee is just a short trip away. The only thing you might struggle finding is enough time to see it all.

If a visit to Angus sounds like something you’d like to do with an experienced guide, then send me a message now about booking a Scotland’s Stories tour!

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Visit Angus’ Most Popular Home – Glamis Castle

I’m not supposed to have favourites, but it’s hard to look past the incredible Glamis Castle. This place is packed full of stories, making it one of the most popular things to do in Angus. 2022 saw the castle celebrating 650 years since John Lyon was first named Thane of Glamis so there’s a lot of history here.

There are a plethora of ghosts hiding out here including a page boy who likes to trip guests up, a grey lady in the chapel and a mysterious hidden room. A previous Lord of Glamis is said to be trapped inside, doomed to play cards with the Devil for eternity. From outside the castle, there appears to be one window with nothing but a stone wall behind it.

Not every story is spooky however, Glamis Castle is also the former home of the Queen Mum. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon wasn’t born here but her father inherited the castle when she was just a few years old. Glamis became a popular summer home for her and she even helped run it as a home for wounded soldiers in WWI. Even as a royal, the Queen Mum would regularly visit Angus to stay in her old home.

I ended up dedicating an entire article to cover all of the stories crammed inside these walls.

Enjoy Smaller Stories In Kirriemuir

Not every thing to do in Angus centres around great nobles, bloody battles or ghastly ghosts. In fact, Kirriemuir should probably be known as the town of wee stories.

The Star Rock Shop is the oldest sweet shop in Scotland, run by Liz Crossley-Davies today using the same recipe as David Ferguson did in 1833. David was a stonemason by trade but had tragically been forced to give up his livelihood after an accident. Instead of giving up like many might, he created Star Rock to sell from his front room!

Another famous son of Kirriemuir was Bon Scott from AC/DC who lived here until the age of 6. He is remembered by bagpipe holding statue and the annual festival of Bonfest.

Kirriemuir’s most famous international story though, has to be Peter Pan. The author JM Barrie grew up in the little town, second youngest of 10 children. Inspiration for his classic tale is thought to have come from a family tragedy.

Barrie’s elder brother and his mother’s favourite son died at 13 years old. The biggest consolation for the grieving woman was that their lost boy would never grow old. He remained an innocent child in her memory. Next time you’re visiting Angus in the summer, make sure to stop by the JM Barrie Birthplace!

Step Back Into Angus History At The Meffan Museum

When it comes to Angus history, don’t miss the region’s elaborately carved Pictish stones. While some of Scotland’s best examples are found in Aberlemno, they are covered in winter to protect them from the weather. Conservation groups have difficult decisions around these important historic monuments. Is it best to limit how well visitors can see them but ensure they can remain out in the wild?

The Meffan Museum in Forfar has done the opposite. Amongst their other fascinating exhibits such as a stone burial cist and 1000 year old log boat, are a collection carved Pictish stones. Safely indoors and with perfect lighting, we can see the shapes and symbols so much easier. It also makes it perfect if you’re looking for things to do in Angus on a rainy day!

We might have no idea what they mean, but just the stones alone tell us some of the very oldest stories from Angus.

Dig Into The Angus Archives At Restenneth

I’ve always enjoyed the quiet Restenneth Priory. It’s tucked away well off the usual roads, surrounded by farmed fields and blissfully peaceful. The oldest section of the spire might actually be one of the first stone built churches in Scotland. Around 710AD the Pictish King Nechtan asked a Northumbrian abbot for assistance in building a stone church and this is a very likely location.

The most common reason that people might visit isn’t actually the priory though. An unassuming building passed on the short drive is home to the Angus Archives. Inside you can explore Angus stories, family histories and records that may help trace your ancestors from this region. It’s completely free to browse the burgh records along with their collection of public and private diaries and letters.

Hike Up To The Caterthuns

High in the hills behind Edzell, the short hike up the Caterthuns is one of my personal favourite things to do in Angus. These strangely named mounds are the remains of two Iron-Age forts, with a car park in the middle. The White Caterthun has ramparts made of stone, carried up over 2000 years ago. The Brown Caterthun is defended by simple ramparts of earth and heather.

It only takes around 10 minutes to hike to the top of the White and take in the immense size of the stone fort. The views in every direction over the rolling Angus hills are worth it. It takes slightly longer to walk up the Brown Caterthun, more like 25 minutes and it’s much harder to make out the shape of any remains.

We don’t really know how the Caterthuns were used. Were they were truly defensive forts, a thriving settlement or maybe even a ritualistic site? However, they do provide some great legends!

Fairies are said to live beneath these hills, a pot of gold is buried here somewhere and the White Caterthun was of course built by a witch. She shifted thousands of stones to build the impressive oval fort, in just one morning while carrying them in her apron!

Things To Do In The Angus Glens

If you like a taste of the Highlands, then you don’t need to leave Angus for that. There are plenty of things to do in the Angus Glens and each has their own unique character. I love Glen Esk in particular, where you can find a castle, hike a Munro, explore a peaceful loch and discover plenty of great stories.

It’s a long, winding road to the carpark at the end of Glen Esk, but even the drive is relaxing. Once there you have the choice of heading to the peaceful, old kirk at Loch Lee, or into Glen Mark.

Glen Mark was once the hideaway of James Carnegy the Laird of Balnamoon. He was a Jacobite on the run after the 1746 Battle of Culloden. Knowing he couldn’t return to his ancestral home, Carnegy spent most of his time hiding out in a secret cave deep in the glen. The rebel Laird was eventually betrayed by the local minister and dragged to London for trial.

Fortunately, he had taken his wife’s surname shortly before the Jacobite rising. The arrest warrant only showed his former name so he got off on a technicality to return to Angus and live the rest of his life in peace.

Visit Arbroath Abbey For National History

Tucked away on the coast, Arbroath Abbey is closely associated with one of the most significant events in Scottish history. When it comes to incredible Angus stories, you can’t possibly miss it out! Back in 1320, this was the location for the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath. It was a letter to the Pope, not from the King but from the Barons of Scotland.

The declaration called for the Holy Father’s support in recognising Robert the Bruce as the rightful King of Scots and an end to war with the English. The most stirring section reads:

“As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”

A less well known story is the Battle of Arbroath in 1445, a clash that took place right outside the abbey gates. Alexander Lindsay was upset that he had been replaced by Alexander Ogilvy as the Abbey’s Bailie of Regality. He brought a large army to Arbroath, badly outnumbering Ogilvy and his allies.

Lindsay’s father the Earl of Crawford arrived, rode in between the two sides and called for calm heads. One of the Ogilvy men mistook his shouts for an order to attack, launching a spear and killing him instantly. The following battle was long and bloody, but the Lindsays eventually came out on top.

Fill Your Stomach With An Arbroath Smokie

You simply can’t visit Angus and not try an Arbroath Smokie. This local delicacy is protected by law and must be made by traditional means within 5 miles of Arbroath. Fresh haddock are gutted, split, salted and dried then hung in pairs inside a special barrel above a smoky wood fire.

Enjoy walking the Arbroath Smokie Trail from the Signal Tower Museum, past the new harbour and the site of the old at Danger Point. The trail then leads along the top of the cliffs, all the way to Auchmithie where the smokie was first invented. Don’t forget to pick one up on your walk and enjoy a surprisingly sweet and delicate treat.

The method of preparing smokies has probably been around for a long time, maybe even brought over by the Vikings. There is a more entertaining story that explains the origin of the fish dish in Auchmithie though. Haddock had been tied in pairs and hung from the rafters inside a fishing cottage when a fire broke out. The cottage was burned to the ground, but the smoked fish was retrieved from the ashes and the smokie had been born!

Live The High Life At House of Dun

The perfectly symmetrical House of Dun, built in 1730, is a great thing to do in Angus for the whole family. Taking 13 years to finish, this Georgian masterpiece replaced a medieval towerhouse that had been home to the Erskine family for centuries. The family continued to live here right up until 1947 when the house was gifted to the National Trust for Scotland along with all of the furnishings.

Easily the most iconic feature from House of Dun is the incredible plasterwork in the saloon. For some of the trickier objects such as woven baskets or stringed violins, the real object was dipped in plaster and hung on the wall. Inside that plaster case is a perfectly entombed 300 year old object!

If you know what you’re looking for then you can even spot hidden messages in the imagery. The Erskines were secret Jacobites, opposed to the Union of the Crowns but also employed by the British government. To show his disdain, David Erskine hid his sympathies in images such as the God of War standing on the English crown with a defeated lion peaking out. There are also white roses, thistles and Fleur-de-lis scattered around.

Visit Angus’ Last Working Watermill

Found not far from Carnoustie, I think Barry Mill might be the best kept secret in Angus!

For hundreds of years, watermills were a vital part of life and without them people didn’t eat. Unfortunately, there are very few left in working condition, which is what makes Barry Mill so important!

There has been a mill on this site since at least 1539, although most of this building is from the 19th Century. Amazingly, Barry Mill was still running as a commercial operation just over 40 years ago. The process has barely changed in all that time, with every step powered by water from the Barry Burn. Kids and adults alike will be hypnotised by the intricate combination of levers, pullies and cogs.

You can see the enormous kiln where the grain was dried after delivery. Then follow the process where it’s poured down a chute, shovelled into sacks and pulled up to the loft by a chain. Next the grain is poured into a hopper and filtered down to the first set of grinding wheels.

An automated elevator of cups lifts it all back up and into the second set of stones. That’s where the oats are properly ground into oatmeal, ready for delivery. It’s incredible to see how innovative people were and how intricate a process like this is.

Scotland has a lot of stories about millers and grain, this place brings them to life!

Where To Eat In Angus

Glenesk Folk Museum – If you’re enjoying a day out up Glen Esk then there’s no better place for soup and a cake than the Glenesk Folk Museum!

Armstrong’s Bar & Restaurant – Not far from Glamis, you’ll find the family friendly Armstrong’s serving good, local food.

But n Ben, Auchmithie – Serving lunch and dinner, you’ll want to book ahead to grab a spot at the traditional wee But n Ben in Auchmithie. A treat if you like seafood in particular!

Where To Stay In Angus

Airlie Arms Hotel – Stay in the wee red town of Kirriemuir at the Airlie Arms, central enough to explore all of Angus!

Tigh Na Leigh – In the quiet town of Alyth you’ll find one of the most luxurious guest houses in Scotland at Tigh Na Leigh!

One Strathview, Forfar – Forfar is a main hub so a perfect place to stay in Angus. One Strathview makes a great B&B to use as a base too!

Old Brewhouse, Arbroath – How about a dog friendly hotel right on Arbroath’s waterfront? Just don’t eat smokies in the bedrooms…

If you enjoyed discovering these fun things to do in Angus, then head north and explore the City of Aberdeen!

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