Forfar

Forfar is a Market Town in the northeast of Scotland, 13 miles north of of Dundee, 55 miles south of Aberdeen.

Forfar is popular for the Meffan Museum and Art Gallery, Restenneth Priory 2 miles northeast, Aberlemno Sculptured Stones 5 miles northeast, and Glamis Castle 5 miles southwest.

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The image top is looking down Forfar High Street with St Johns Church on the right.

The second image is of the Chapelbank Hotel next to the Church.

The image third top is of the Town Hall in the centre of Forfar.

The Meffan Museum and Art Gallery are a short walk west of the town Hall on West High Street. The Museum covers ancient stones, a long boat from the 1100s?, information on women being executed for being witches in the 1600s, and a street with old shops from the 1900s.

Restenneth Priory is 2 miles northeast of Forfar with a car park, free to visit, with the earliest parts of the Priory from the 1100s.

Forfar History

Pre History - the Picts were in control of the area around Forfar, and most other parts of northern Scotland. These were tribal people known for painting their faces blue and white, with no known religion.

200 AD - the Romans established a large camp named Battledykes, 3 miles north of Forfar, claimed to have held around 50,000 men. This was a time the Romans were trying to take control of Scotland from the Picts.

410 - the Romans had withdrawn from Britain.

1058 - Malcolm III became King of Scotland then called a parliament at Forfar Castle, thought to be a wooden Castle on the town's Castle Hill. King Malcolm is thought to have made the town a Royal Burgh.

1170s - during the reign of William I, Forfar Castle was rebuilt, probably of stone.

1230 - as a result of fighting over the Scottish throne, the infant daughter of Meic Uilleim was put to death by having her head struck against the column of the Market Cross in Forfar. Meic Uilleim had been claiming his family had a right to the Throne.

1300s - during the First War of Scottish Independence, Forfar Castle was captured by the English. Forces of Robert the Bruce regained possession of the Castle, then had it demolished so the English could not occupy it again.

1597 - the Great Scottish Witch Hunts begin with around 400 women accused over the following 120 years. It is unknown how many were executed. Many were accused by neighbour's they had fallen out with.

1600s - a number of women in the Forfar area were burned as Witches.

1651 - troops of Oliver Cromwell destroyed most of Forfar during the English Civil War. That war had spread into Scotland as many Scots supported the Royals.

1722 - the last woman to be executed legally for being a Witch was Janet Horne from Dornoch in the far northeast of Scotland.

1700s late - Forfar grew around the textile industry with factories and housing built for the workers. Many of the companies merged with larger companies in Dundee.

Some of the earliest linen was woven in cottages around Forfar for the companies.

1800 - bottling of spring water began in Forfar with Strathmore Spring Water becoming one of the top names in Spring Water.

1800s - a large Class I / Pictish stone, with a rare carving of a flower, named the Dunnichen Stone, was found by a farmer ploughing a field by Forfar. This stone is now in the Meffan Museum.

1871 - Forfar Golf Club was founded.

1885 - Forfar Athletic Football Club was founded.

1898 - the Meffan Museum was built for the daughter of the Provost Meffan.

1900s - Jute factories became the main employers in Forfar, plant fibres used to make rope, hessian and more.

1920s - the Jute factories began closing due to low cost production in India.

1980s - woven and non-woven polypropylene industrial textile products and plastic food packaging become the main products being manufactured in Forfar.

Today - much of the economy of Forfar is connected to agriculture and food production.