Montrose (/mʌnˈtroʊz/ mun-TROHZ; Scottish Gaelic: Mon Rois [mɔn ˈrˠɔʃ]) is a town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland.

It is the northernmost coastal town in Angus and developed as a natural harbour that traded in skins, hides, and cured salmon in medieval times.

[2] The skyline of Montrose is dominated by the 220-foot (67 m) steeple of Old and St Andrew's Church, designed by James Gillespie Graham and built between 1832 and 1834.

Graham signed the National Covenant against Charles I's reorganisation of the Kirk in Scotland, fighting in the ensuing Bishops' Wars, but later switched to the King's side only to be captured and executed in Edinburgh in the year 1650.

Between 1677 and the summer of 1678 a dyke which was begun across the Montrose Basin, designed to drain and reclaim the northern half, by Dronner, a Dutch engineer.

The town was held for his son, Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie; the Young Pretender), 30 years later and in February 1746 the largest naval battle of the war was fought in Montrose Harbour.

We then went to view the English chapel, and found it a small church, clean to a degree unknown in any other part of Scotland, with commodious galleries, and what was yet less expected, with an organ.".

[20]Alexander Christie (c. 1721–1794) was provost in the town during the 1760s and 1780s and oversaw the establishment of Scotland's first lunatic asylum in Montrose in 1781[21] which eventually became known as Sunnyside Royal Hospital.

Sunnyside remained in use for the treatment of people with mental illnesses until its final closure in 2011 when many of its patients and functions moved to the Susan Carnegie Centre at Stracathro Hospital.

[26] During World War II Montrose became a hub for a constant stream of international pilots from all over the Commonwealth, Poland, Czechoslovakia, America, Russia, France and other allied nations.

As well as a training base RAF Montrose was also an operational airfield for Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire squadrons, which flew sorties over Norway and were a part of the air defences for Edinburgh.

Despite its coastal location presenting a danger however, large numbers of children and young mothers from Dundee were evacuated there during the period of the Phoney War.

[27] As was the case in many other receiving areas, the local population was concerned by the condition of the urban poor and impetigo and vermin were found on some of those evacuated.

[28] Bamse (meaning 'teddybear' in Norwegian), a St Bernard dog famed for his exploits and popular in local imagination, is buried in the town.

He saved the life of Lieutenant Commander Olav Nilsen at Dundee Docks and generally protected his fellow sailors.

One can watch the blue tits and barn swallows inside their nests, and take in the panoramic vista of the rolling Angus countryside and hills.

[36] In winter, 20,000 pink-footed geese take up residence on the mudflats, feeding in the nearby fields by day, and returning to the safety of the Basin in the evening.

In recent years research published by Scottish Natural Heritage claimed that the population of greylag geese has fallen as a result of climate change.

The historically observed average rates of erosion of the beach is between 2.8–7.0 metres (9–23 ft) per year, which has been linked to climate change.

The group are concerned that Angus Council are not acting efficiently to halt the effects of erosion and believe a full study should be carried out.

Since 2009 a team from the University of Dundee has begun assessing the coastline around Montrose in a two-year study to decide the best way of managing coastal erosion.

The increase in the elderly population is reflected in the profusion of nursing and residential homes and in recent plans to extend provision for sheltered housing.

[51] Other significant employers include Tesco, Cooperative Group, Petrofac, National Oilwell Varco, Baker Hughes and Argos.

They are a mix of modern and classical works, with many by the local sculptor, William Lamb ARSA, an artist of exceptional talent.

From the 1920s to 1940s local architect George Fairweather's studio provided a forum for lively debate by an artistic community that included Hugh MacDiarmid, Edwin Muir, William Lamb, Helen Cruickshank and Fionn MacColla.

It has grown in size and stature each year to become Scotland's biggest free live music festival with over 200 free gigs over the three days in more than 26 venues across the town, including an open-air stage on Montrose's historic high street with the dominating Montrose Steeple behind the stage, which draws crowds of all ages from all over the country.

Other notable headliners have included Average White Band, Deacon Blue, The Proclaimers, Ocean Colour Scene, Toploader, Eddi Reader, Bryan Adams, The Beach Boys & Madness.

Originally a historic swimming pool, the building has been transformed into a multi-purpose space that hosts film screenings, live performances and educational events.

Items accepted include, steel and aluminium cans, cardboard, paper, electrical equipment, engine oil, fridges and freezers, garden waste, gas bottles, glass, liquid food and drinks cartons, plastic bottles, plastic carrier bags, rubble, scrap metal, shoes and handbags, spectacles, textiles, tin foil, wood and yellow pages.

[74] There are also glass banks at Tesco in Western Road and Scotmid in New Wynd, as well as a neighbourhood recycling point at Wharf Street.