Angus
| Angus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Borders | Aberdeenshire Fife Kincardineshire Perthshire |
| Population | 263,010 |
| Area (sq mi) | 899 square miles |
Angus, archaically known as Forfarshire or the County of Forfar, is a county on the east coast of Scotland, stretching north from the Firth of Tay to the Grampian Mountains. Dundee is the largest settlement in Angus, and the fourth-largest city in Scotland (behind Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen). The county town is Forfar. Other notable settlments include Auchmithie, Brechin, Arbroath, Montrose, Kirriemuir, and Carnoustie.
Angus has an area of around 899 sq mi, with Herefordshire in England being similar in size.
History
Between the 6th and 9th century, Angus formed a part of the Pictish territory Circin. Dunnichen in Angus is thought to have been the site of the battle of Battle of Dun Nechtain, part of a series of conflicts between the Picts and the Anglian kingdom Northumbria, which took place in May 685 AD. The name "Angus" is suggestive of an 8th century king of the Picts. The Eassie Stone was found in a burn in the late 1700s at the village of Eassie in Angus, and is thought to date from the mid-8th century AD.
After the Kingdom of Scotland was established in 843 AD, Angus was first recorded as a province of Scotland in 937 AD, when Dubacan, the Mormaer of Angus, is recorded in the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba as having died at the Battle of Brunanburh.
Angus is home to one of only three medieval round towers outside of Ireland (the others being at Abernethy, Perthshire and Peel, Isle of Man). Although the tower is presently joined to Brechin Cathedral, the tower predates the cathedral itself, having been built in the reign of Kenneth II (971-975 AD). The tower was joined to the 13th century cathedral in the early 19th century.[1]
Dundee, in the south of Angus on the Firth of Tay, saw a large urban expansion in the 19th century, largely due to the growth of the textile industry following the phasing out of the linen export bounty between 1825 and 1832. Dundee's growth was especially facilitated by inward migration, particularly by Irish workers.
Administration
As of 2024, much of Angus is administered by Angus Council, although the part containing Dundee and its immediate surrounds are under Dundee City Council.