Angus Aonghas (Scottish Gaelic) | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
 Angus shown withinScotland | |
| Coordinates:56°40′N2°55′W / 56.667°N 2.917°W /56.667; -2.917 | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Unitary authority | 1 April 1996 |
| Administrative HQ | Forfar Town and County Hall |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council |
| • Body | Angus Council |
| • Control | No overall control |
| • MPs | 2 MPs |
| • MSPs | 2 MSPs |
| Area | |
• Total | 842 sq mi (2,181 km2) |
| • Rank | 10th |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Total | 114,810 |
| • Rank | 19th |
| • Density | 140/sq mi (53/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-ANS |
| GSS code | S12000041 |
| Website | angus |
Angus (Scots:Angus;Scottish Gaelic:Aonghas) is one of the 32local governmentcouncil areas of Scotland, and alieutenancy area. The council area bordersAberdeenshire,Dundee City andPerth and Kinross. Main industries includeagriculture andfishing. Global pharmaceuticals companyGSK has a significant presence inMontrose in the east of the county.
Angus was historically aprovince, and later asheriffdom andcounty (calledForfarshire or theCounty of Forfar until 1928), borderingKincardineshire to the north-east,Aberdeenshire to the north andPerthshire to the west; southwards it facedFife across theFirth of Tay. The county included Dundee until 1894, when it was made acounty of a city. The pre-1894 boundaries of Angus continue to be used as aregistration county. Between 1975 and 1996 Angus was a lower-tier district within theTayside region. The district took on its modern form and powers in 1996, since when the local authority has beenAngus Council.
The name "Angus" indicates the territory of the eighth-centuryPictish king,Óengus I.[3]
The area that now comprises Angus has been occupied since at least theNeolithic period. Material taken frompostholes from an enclosure at Douglasmuir, nearFriockheim, about 5 mi (8 km) north of Arbroath has beenradiocarbon dated to around 3500 BC. The function of the enclosure is unknown, but may have been for agriculture or for ceremonial purposes.[4]
Bronze Age archaeology is to be found in abundance in the area. Examples include the short-cist burials found near West Newbigging, about a mile to the North of the town. These burials included pottery urns, a pair of silver discs and a gold armlet.[5]Iron Age archaeology is also well represented, for example in thesouterrain nearby Warddykes cemetery[6] and at West Grange of Conan,[7] as well as the better-known examples at Carlungie and Ardestie.
The county is traditionally associated with thePictish territory ofCircin, which is thought to have encompassed Angus and theMearns. Bordering it were the kingdoms ofCé (Mar and Buchan) to the North, Fotla (Atholl) to the West, and Fib (Fife) to the South. The most visible remnants of the Pictish age are the numeroussculptured stones that can be found throughout Angus. Of particular note are the collections found atAberlemno,St Vigeans,Kirriemuir andMonifieth.
Angus is first recorded as one of theprovinces of Scotland in 937, whenDubacan, theMormaer of Angus, is recorded in theChronicle of the Kings of Alba as having died at theBattle of Brunanburh.[8]
The signing of theDeclaration of Arbroath atArbroath Abbey in 1320[9] marked Scotland's establishment as an independent nation. Partly on this basis, Angus is marketed as the birthplace of Scotland.[10] It is an area of rich history from Pictish times onwards. Notable historic sites in addition to Arbroath Abbey includeGlamis Castle, Arbroath Signal Tower museum and theBell Rock Lighthouse, described as one of theSeven Wonders of the Industrial World.[11]
During the 16th and 17th century, severalwitch trials took place in Forfar, the last of which took place in 1662 and in which 52 people were accused. At the time, Forfar was a town of around 1,000 inhabitants, with an additional 2,000 people residing in the county.[12][13]
Angus was one of the ancient provinces of Scotland, under the authority of theMormaer orEarl of Angus. From at least the thirteenth century the area formed the basis for a shire (the area administered by asheriff) based in Forfar: theSheriff of Forfar.[14]
Over time, Scotland's shires became more significant than the old provinces, with more administrative functions being given to the sheriffs. The older territory called Angus was therefore gradually eclipsed in legal importance by the shire of Forfar (or Forfarshire) which covered the same area. In 1667Commissioners of Supply were established for each shire, which would serve as the main administrative body for the area until the creation of county councils in 1890. Following theActs of Union in 1707, the English term 'county' came to be used interchangeably with the older term 'shire'.[15]
Elected county councils were established in 1890 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1889, taking most of the functions of the commissioners (which were eventually abolished in 1930). The county's five largestburghs, beingArbroath,Brechin,Dundee,Forfar, andMontrose, were deemed capable of managing their own affairs and so were excluded from the administrative area of the county council.[16][17] The county council held its first official meeting on 22 May 1890 at theCounty Buildings (now known as Forfar Sheriff Court), the county's main courthouse, which also served as the meeting place for the commissioners of supply.Robert Haldane-Duncan, 3rd Earl of Camperdown, aLiberal peer, was appointed the first chairman of the county council.[18][19]
The 1889 Act also led to a review of boundaries, withexclaves being transferred to a county they actually bordered, and parishes which straddled more than one county being adjusted such that each parish was entirely in a single county. There were several such changes affecting the boundaries of Forfarshire.[20]
Dundee was subsequently made acounty of itself in 1894, also removing the city from Forfarshire for judicial andlieutenancy purposes.[21] Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar and Montrose were brought within the administrative area of the county council in 1930, although Arbroath was classed as alarge burgh, allowing its council to continue to deliver most local government functions itself.[22]
In May 1928 the county council resolved to use the name 'Angus' for the area rather than the 'County of Forfar'.[23] The council petitioned the government to officially change the name too. The government responded by directing all departments to use Angus, but noted that the legal name would remain Forfar until such time as it could be changed by statute.[24] The statutory change of name from Forfar to Angus eventually took place in 1947 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1947.[25]
Angus County Council was abolished in 1975 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which replaced Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts with a two-tier structure of upper-tier regions and lower-tierdistricts. A new Angus district was created covering most of the pre-1975 county, with the exceptions being thatMonifieth and a number of villages immediately north of Dundee were transferred to an enlarged City of Dundee district, andKettins was transferred toPerth and Kinross. Angus District Council was a lower-tier district level authority subordinate to theTayside Regional Council.[26] Alieutenancy area covering the same area as the new district was created at the same time.[27]
Further local government reforms in 1996 under theLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 saw the regions and districts created in 1975 abolished and replaced withcouncil areas providing all local government services. Angus district became one of the new council areas, taking on the functions of the abolished Tayside Regional Council. The council area regained Monifieth and the villages north of Dundee as part of the same reforms.[28] The Angus lieutenancy area was adjusted to match the new council area in 1996. TheLord Lieutenant of Angus is appointed by the monarch.[29] The boundaries of the historic county of Angus (as it was prior to the removal of Dundee in 1894) are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being aregistration county.[30]
Angus can be split into three geographic areas. To the north and west, thetopography is mountainous. This is the area of theGrampian Mountains,Mounth hills andFive Glens of Angus, which is sparsely populated and where the main industry ishill farming.Glas Maol – the highest point in Angus at 1,068 metres (3,504 feet) – can be found here, on thetripoint boundary with Perthshire and Aberdeenshire. To the south and east the topography consists of rolling hills (such as theSidlaws) bordering the sea; this area is well populated, with the larger towns. In between liesStrathmore (the Great Valley), which is a fertile agricultural area noted for the growing of potatoes, soft fruit and the raising ofAberdeen Angus cattle.
Montrose in the north east of the county is notable for itstidal basin and wildlife.[31] Angus's coast is fairly regular, the most prominent features being the headlands ofScurdie Ness andBuddon Ness.[32] The main bodies of water in the county areLoch Lee,Loch Brandy,Carlochy,Loch Wharral,Den of Ogil Reservoir,Loch of Forfar,Loch Fithie,Rescobie Loch,Balgavies Loch,Crombie Reservoir,Monikie Reservoirs,Long Loch,Lundie Loch,Loch of Kinnordy,Loch of Lintrathen,Backwater Reservoir,Auchintaple Loch,Loch Shandra.[33]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 65,068 | — |
| 1811 | 69,376 | +6.6% |
| 1821 | 74,436 | +7.3% |
| 1831 | 84,630 | +13.7% |
| 1841 | 106,890 | +26.3% |
| 1851 | 119,357 | +11.7% |
| 1911 | 118,748 | −0.5% |
| 1921 | 101,767 | −14.3% |
| 1931 | 93,803 | −7.8% |
| 1941 | 95,290 | +1.6% |
| 1951 | 96,777 | +1.6% |
| 1961 | 93,666 | −3.2% |
| 1971 | 90,554 | −3.3% |
| 1981 | 98,685 | +9.0% |
| 1991 | 107,866 | +9.3% |
| 2001 | 108,400 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 116,000 | +7.0% |
| Source: [34][35] | ||
In the 2001 census, the population of Angus was recorded as 108,400. 20.14% were under the age of 16, 63.15% were between 16 and 65 and 18.05% were aged 65 or above.
Of the 16 to 74 age group, 32.84% had no formal qualifications, 27.08% were educated to 'O' Grade/Standard Grade level, 14.38% to Higher level, 7.64% to HND or equivalent level and 18.06% to degree level.
The most recent available census results (2001) show thatGaelic is spoken by 0.45% of the Angus population. This, similar to other lowland areas, is lower than the national average of 1.16%.[36] These figures are self-reported and are not broken down into levels of fluency.
| Category | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| All people | 108,400 | 100 |
| Understands spoken Gaelic but cannot speak, read or write it | 351 | 0.32 |
| Speaks reads and writes Gaelic | 238 | 0.22 |
| Speaks but neither reads nor writes Gaelic | 188 | 0.17 |
| Speaks and reads but cannot write Gaelic | 59 | 0.05 |
| Reads but neither speaks not writes Gaelic | 61 | 0.06 |
| Writes but neither speaks nor reads Gaelic | 13 | 0.01 |
| Reads and writes but does not speak Gaelic | 22 | 0.02 |
| Other combination of skills in Gaelic | 7 | 0.01 |
| No knowledge of Gaelic | 107,461 | 99.13 |
Meanwhile, the 2011 census found that 38.4% of the population in Angus can speakScots, above the Scottish average of 30.1%. This puts Angus as the council area with the sixth highest proficiency in Scots, behind onlyShetland,Orkney,Moray,Aberdeenshire, andEast Ayrshire.
The 2022 Scottish Census reported that out of 111,587 residents aged three and over, 43,917 (39.4%) considered themselves able to speak or read the Scots language.[37] This puts Angus as the council area with the fifth highest proficiency in Scots, ahead of Orkney.
Historically, the dominant language in Angus wasPictish until the sixth to seventh centuries AD when the area became progressively gaelicised, with Pictish extinct by the mid-ninth century.[38] Gaelic/Middle Irish began to retreat from lowland areas in the late-eleventh century and was absent from the Eastern lowlands by the fourteenth century. It was replaced there byMiddle Scots, the contemporary localSouth Northern dialect ofModern Scots, while Gaelic persisted as a majority language in theHighlands andHebrides until the 19th century.[39][40]
Angus Council are planning to raise the status of Gaelic in the county by adopting a series of measures, including bilingual road signage, communications, vehicle livery and staffing.[41]
The 2022 Scottish Census reported that out of 111,590 residents aged three and over, 933 (0.8%) considered themselves able to speak or readGaelic,[42] this represents an increase from the 588 (0.5%) from the 2011 census.
As of 2018[update] Angus is divided into 25community council areas and all apart from Friockheim district have an active council.[43] The areas are:Aberlemno;Auchterhouse;Carnoustie;City of Brechin & District;Ferryden & Craig;Friockheim & District;Glamis;Hillside, Dun, & Logie Pert;Inverarity;Inveresk;Kirriemuir;Kirriemuir Landward East;Kirriemuir Landward West;Letham & District;Lunanhead & District;Monifieth;Monikie & Newbigging;Montrose;Muirhead,Birkhill and Liff;Murroes & Wellbank;Newtyle & Eassie;Royal Burgh of Arbroath;Royal Burgh of Forfar;Strathmartine; andTealing.
Angus is represented by two MPs for theUK Parliament.
Angus is represented by two constituency MSPs for theScottish Parliament.
In addition to the two constituency MSPs, Angus is also represented by seven MSPs for the North East Scotland electoral region.
TheEdinburgh-Aberdeen railway line runs along the coast, through Dundee and the towns of Monifieth, Carnoustie, Arbroath and Montrose.
There is a smallairport at Dundee, which at present operates flights to London and Belfast.[44]
Arbroath is the largest town in the modern county, followed byForfar, the county town and administrative centre, andMontrose.
Largest settlements by population:
| Settlement | Population (2020)[45] |
|---|---|
| Arbroath | 23,500 |
| Forfar | 14,120 |
| Montrose | 11,730 |
| Carnoustie | 11,310 |
| Monifieth | 8,860 |
| Brechin | 7,230 |
| Kirriemuir | 6,060 |
| Birkhill | 2,010 |
| Letham | 1,640 |
| Ferryden | 1,220 |
._Civil_Parish_map.jpg)
Forfarshire was divided into parishes, some of which share the name with current settlements:[47]
Secondary schools in Angus:
Most common surnames in Angus (Forfarshire) at the time of the1881 United Kingdom census:[49]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Angus | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||
Local government areas ofScotland, in use 1975 to 1996 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Borders |  | |
| Central | ||
| Dumfries and Galloway | ||
| Fife | ||
| Grampian | ||
| Highland | ||
| Lothian | ||
| Strathclyde | ||
| Tayside | ||
| Island areas1 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
