Home Report Kirriemuir

Kirriemuir, sometimes known as Kirrie, is a charming town in Angus of roughly 6,100 residents. It is situated about six miles northwest of Forfar and about 18 miles from the centre of Dundee. Despite the town’s size, Kirriemuir has a notable past reaching as far back as earliest historical records, when it was apparently a centre of ecclesiastical importance. It also has a history of significant witchcraft accusations, and to this day many older buildings still have a “witches’ stane” built in to ward off any evil. This is a hard grey stone physically set into the local red sandstone from which many of the properties are built. In more recent times during the industrial revolution, it was a key centre of the jute trade in Scotland. Another interesting point of note is the town is the birthplace and burial site of the playwright J. M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, and a statue of Peter Pan stands in the town square to commemorate him and his works.

Today though, Kirriemuir is predominantly a dormitory town for residents working in wider Angus, mostly nearby Forfar, and the city of Dundee. The town has no dedicated railway line but is well served by local bus services and road infrastructure. The A90 road is reachable via the A926 and allows for travel to the wider area and further still north and south. It is the A90 that allows commuters relatively quick travel into Dundee while staying on the A926 allows for travel to Forfar.

In terms of amenities and things to do, Kirriemuir has a bustling town centre with winding narrow streets containing many local independent businesses. Kirriemuir is also known as the ‘Gateway to the Glens’ for its position at the base of the Angus glens. This makes it an attractive base to locals and visitors for hill walking on nearby Munros, fishing, partridge, pheasant and grouse shooting, and deerstalking. There is also an 18-hole golf course with some spectacular views north to Glen Clova and Glen Doll. J.M. Barrie mentioned earlier gifted a camera obscura to the people of the town from which you can enjoy stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The town also has two parks: Gairie Burn Glen and on top of Kirriemuir Hill. A highlight of the social calendar is the Kirriemuir Festival of Traditional Music and Song, featuring live music, ceilidhs, storytelling, and lots of great food from local vendors. So, the town has plenty to offer, and whatever residents can’t find they typically head into nearby Forfar to get, such as grocery shopping at the large Tesco Superstore.

In terms of local education for children then, the town has two primary schools: Northmuir and Southmuir Primary Schools, while Webster’s High School the local secondary school. The closest college – Dundee and Angus College – can be found in nearby Forfar.