Brechin

📌 Town in Angus
★★

When is a city not a city? Answer: when it’s Brechin City! This settlement lies on a hill above the River South Esk at the centre of the fertile Strathmore and Howe of the Mearns agricultural belt. It has a rich history: Brechin has long been a religious centre – of multiple Christian denominations – and its cathedral on Bishop’s Close afforded it city status prior to the Reformation. Busy markets, milling, distilling and brewing added to the town’s importance up until the Victorian age, but the rose-tinted spectacles have since come just a little askew. The railway closed to passengers in 1952 before reopening as a heritage line, and the cathedral no longer holds regular worship services. City status? A bit of a stretch nowadays, except perhaps to the most ardent local fans. The town is, however, still the fourth largest settlement in the largely rural Angus council area, and has a few attractive corners worth seeking out – especially around High Street – plus the heritage railway and cathedral mentioned above.