|
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.
For Images on Mobile swipe right
Click On Map for area Attractions
Camping & Touring Parks in
area
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410 - the Romans had withdrawn from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.
|
