Large text saying Kinlethmont, Angus, Scotland

About the Area

A view towards the sea and Lunan Bay with Kinblethmont House and woodland in the foreground

About Angus

Angus is a beautiful, peaceful county of fertile rolling countryside enclosed by heather covered mountains and unspoilt white sand beaches. There are many walks in the area; whether you wish to stroll along one of the coastal paths or tackle the tough "Jock's road" from Glen Clova to Braemar you are sure to delight in the fanatastic views and abundant wildlife. In the winter these mountains are home to the Glenshee ski centre which can be reached in less than 1 1/2 hours, with the Lecht and Aviemore also within striking distance.

At the coast there is a choice of beaches, just at hand is the wonderful unspoilt stretch of Lunan Bay where one can play in the sand dunes, splash in warm pools as the tide goes out or just wander along listening to the waves and looking for flotsam and jetsam. A little way up the coast is the Montrose Basin nature reserve which is a haven for all kinds of sea birds and has an informative visitor centre or for younger children there is the seafront splash at Montrose - a sand and sea based adventure playground next to Montrose beach and golf course.

Merchants houses backing theh marina at Arbroath harbour

The local town is the old fishing town of Arbroath, famed for its Arbroath smokies which can be seen being hot smoked in the traditional manner at the picturesque harbour. The dominant feature of the town is Arbroath Abbey which is the home of the declaration of Arbroath where the 14th century Scottish earls and barons declared "...for so long as a hundred of us remain alive, we will yield in no way to English dominion..." Perhaps that is why the Arbroath townsfolk tend to be SNP supporters. The abbey is very impressive and it and its visitor centre are well worth a visit.

A little further away is the university city of Dundee, called the city of Discovery as it berths Captain Scott's antarctic exhibition ship Discovery which is open to the public along with an excellent multi-award winning experience centre. For an evening out Dundee also offers good restaurants, theatres including the Dundee repertory theatre and the vibrant Dundee Contemporary Arts centre and cafe.

For those interested in golf you will be spoilt for choice with Letham Grange next door and Montrose, Brechin and Carnoustie clubs within 20 minutes drive. A little further afield are St Andrews at 50 minutes away by car and Gleneagles not much further away. If culture is more your thing, why not visit Glamis castle the legendary home of Shakespeare's Macbeth where you can visit the house and splendid gardens, or the wild ruins of Dunnotar castle in their dramatic seaside setting.

I have only given a taste of the great variety of things to see and do in the area. For further information the touristboard website www.angusanddundee.co.uk is very useful and well worth a visit.