Explore Northeast Scotland
Immediately north of Dundee, the low-lying Sidlaw Hills divide the city from the rich agricultural region of Strathmore, whose string of tidy market towns lies on a fertile strip along the southernmost edge of the heather-covered lower slopes of the Grampian Mountains. These towns act as gateways to the Angus glens, a series of tranquil valleys penetrated by singletrack roads and offering some of the most rugged and majestic landscapes in northeast Scotland. It’s a rain-swept, wind-blown, sparsely populated area, whose roads become impassable with the first snows, sometimes as early as October, and where the summers see clouds of ferocious midges. The most useful road through the glens is the A93, which cuts through Glen Shee, linking Blairgowrie to Braemar on Deeside. It’s pretty dramatic stuff, threading its way over Britain’s highest main road, the Cairnwell Pass (2199ft).
Meigle Museum
The tiny settlement of MEIGLE is home to Scotland’s most important collection of early Christian and Pictish inscribed stones. The exact meaning and purpose of the stones and their enigmatic symbols is obscure, as is the reason why so many of them were found here. The most likely theory is that Meigle was once an important ecclesiastical centre that attracted secular burials of prominent Picts. Housed in a modest former schoolhouse, the Meigle Museum displays some thirty pieces dating from the seventh to the tenth centuries, all found in and around the nearby churchyard. The majority are either gravestones that would have lain flat, or cross slabs inscribed with the sign of the cross, usually standing. Most impressive is the 7ft-tall great cross slab, said to be the gravestone of Guinevere, wife of King Arthur.
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Skiing at Glen Shee
Skiing at Glen Shee
Scotland’s ski resorts make for a fun day out for anyone from beginners to experienced skiers and, given that Glen Shee is both the most extensive and the most accessible of Scotland’s ski areas, just over two hours from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, it’s as good an introduction as any to the sport in Scotland.
For information, contact Ski Glenshee, which also offers ski rental and lessons. Ski rental starts at around £16 a day, and a 90min lesson is around £15. Lift passes cost £24 per day or £96 for a five-day (Mon–Fri) ticket. For the latest snow and weather conditions, phone the centre itself or check out the Ski Scotland website. For cross-country skiing, there are some good touring areas in the vicinity; contact Braemar Mountain Sports for information and equipment rental.
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J.M. Barrie in Kirrie
J.M. Barrie in Kirrie
The presence of a statue of Peter Pan in Kirrie is justified, since the town was the birthplace of his creator, J.M. Barrie (1860–1937). A local handloom-weaver’s son, Barrie first came to notice with his series of novels about “Thrums”, a village based on his home town, and he wrote the story of Peter Pan, the little boy who never grew up, in 1904 – some say as a response to an upbringing dominated by the memory of his older brother, who died as a child. Barrie’s birthplace, a plain little whitewashed cottage at 9 Brechin Rd, has been opened up as a visitor attraction, with a series of small rooms decorated as they would have been during the author’s childhood, as well as displays about his life and works.
