Ferryden Heritage Trail - Angus Council

5
On this corner,
directly in front
of you, is Ferryden’s
former primary school
and its school house,
nestling behind it.
Continue along
Hillview Crescent on
the left hand side and
follow the path to the
stairs and turn right.
These take you onto
Rossie Terrace, leading
up from the car park at
Rossie Square. Rossie
Square is named after
the former estate of
which the village
was part. Turn right
here and proceed
up the hill. You are
on the high road,
Scurdieness Lighthouse
leading ultimately to
Scurdieness lighthouse
and the mouth of the river. From here you can enjoy
superb views over the harbour to the Basin beyond.
6
At a gap in the road on your right, a signpost
indicates the location of the small United Free
Church. Back on Rossie Terrace, continue along the
road as it becomes Beacon Terrace.
7
On the right there is a small fragment of a
building. This is all that remains of the old
Infant School, founded in 1835 by the local laird’s
daughter for village children up to the age of 5. It
was Scotland’s first nursery school and still in use
until the 1960s.
The ferry and Ferryden from the Montrose shore c1905
8
On the wall is a plaque of the Ferryden
Fishwives by Montrose artist William Lamb,
who drew many of his models from the Ferryden
fishing community. The remnant of the old infant
school has now been topped by a new weather
vane featuring a salmon. Continue along Beacon
Terrace, past the colourful
houses, until you are out
of the village and on the
lighthouse road. This road is
not suitable for cars.
9
A little way along the
path is a picnic table,
affording superb views of the
estuary, out to sea and inland
over the harbour. Seals, birds
and occasionally dolphins
can be seen from here.
10
You can carry on down
this road to Scurdieness
lighthouse, designed by Robert
Stevenson, first lit in 1 March
1870, and then onto the deserted
fishing village of Usan. This walk
would take over an hour and
requires you to wear appropriate
footwear. Alternatively, go as far
as the lighthouse and explore the
rock pools.
11
The gable ends of Ferryden
Along the way you will
note pill boxes from
World War Two home defence
schemes and the lime washed
pillars that were early navigation
beacons.
12
Continue back towards the village and on
your right, just past some black huts, there is
staircase that descends towards Victoria Square. Use
this to reach River Street, fronting the beach.
13
At the junction
of River Street
and Victoria Square
you will notice some
outbuildings, a few of
the last survivors of
Ferryden’s huts, wash
houses and bark boilers.
14
Turn left and
walk along King
Street. The houses here
sit with their gable ends
to the sea. All of their
former inhabitants were
fishermen or connected
to the sea. These houses are believed to be
the original houses of the 18th century north
east fishermen immigrants, and are amongst
the oldest in the village.
15
Just before King Street turns a
corner and becomes William Street,
one house on the left still has the housing for
the village barometer, so vital for predicting
the weather.
16
River Street
William Street itself is an attractive
street, where a number of houses
have retained the outside stairs, which
allowed access to the upper flats. At the end
of William Street is Rossie Square, part of
which was demolished to create a car park.
17
As you reach the junction with Brownlow
Place, you pass a gap between the Post
Office and the row of old sheds.
18
Along Brownlow Place is the Esk Hotel,
Ferryden’s oldest surviving drinking
establishment. At one time the village had a problem
with the over consumption of alcohol until the
Reverend Brewster inspired a Temperance fervour
in the villagers.
19
Opposite the Church Hall is the Memorial
Garden and Picture Board, opened in April
2001 and landscaped to provide a pleasant outlook
over the river and harbour.
20
This was the site where the ferryboat
landed. Mill workers used to take the
ferry four times a day as many of them came home
for their dinner. From here you can see the pier,
with the 1795 pier clearly still visible below the
bus shelter. This area was once full of the fishing
vessels. We have come full circle and our tour of this
charming village concludes here.
“Menim” George West and
his wife “Meg Nicoll” baiting
the line. George was coxswain
of the lifeboat at one time.