Tarfside is the location of an Episcopal church, St Drostan's, which was built in 1879 in memory of Alexander Penrose Forbes, Bishop of Brechin.

This replaced earlier Episcopal meeting houses in Glen Esk.

[4][5] During the Second World War, a secret Auxiliary Unit known as the "Tarfside Patrol" was based in the area.

This was led by Sgt William Henderson Kidd, who reported to the Group Commander Captain H.A.

An underground base would have been made which the patrol would have gone into hiding if the Germans had invaded.