Forfar
5miles

Once the county town of Angus, Forfar is now a small royal burgh and market
town. It gives its name to one of Scotland's culinary delights - the Forfar
Bridie. It has meat and vegetables within a pastry crust, and used to be
popular with the farm workers of Angus, as it was a self-contained and easily
portable meal.
To get an insight into the town's history and industries, you should visit
the Meffan Museum and Art Gallery in West High Street, built in 1898 after
a daughter of a former provost left a sum of money to the town.
During the Dark Ages this part of Scotland was inhabited by the Picts, who,
as far as we know, had no alphabet. However, they were expert carvers, and
in the museum is a superb display of carved stones. You can also walk down
an old cobbled street and peer into shops and workshops. A more unusual display
is one about witchcraft in Angus.
Five miles east of Forfar is Balgavies Loch, a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve,
where you can see great crested grebe, whooping swans, cormorant and other
birds. Keys to the hide are available from the ranger at the Montrose BasinWildlife Centre.

The ruins of Restenneth Priory (Historic Scotland) sit about a mile and a
half from the town, on the B9113. It was founded by David I for Augustinian
canons on the site of a much earlier church, and its square tower has some
of the earliest Norman work in Scotland. It was sacked by Edward I, but under
the patronage of Robert the Bruce it soon regained its importance. Prince
Robert, one of Bruce's sons, is buried here.