Visit Carnoustie Places

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The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Carnoustie

  

Carnoustie Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Carnoustie

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Carnoustie history

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Toponymy

The origin of the name Carnoustie is uncertain. The name is supposed to derive from the scots ‘Craws Nestie’, referring to the large number of crows that inhabit the area. Folk etymology suggests that the name has a later, Anglic origin. The earliest record is of “Carnowis” in a 1510 charter of James IV to Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus.

Early history

The area surrounding Carnoustie has been occupied continuously since the Neolithic period, as evidenced by a Cursus monument, identified from cropmarks near Woodhill. This cursus is of a similar scale to the well characterised, mid-4th-century BC enclosure found nearby at Douglasmuir near Friockheim. Numerous stones incised with cup and ring marks have also been found in the surrounding area. An assemblage of Late Neolithic pottery fragments found at Carlogie, 1/2 mile (800 metres) north of Carnoustie, has been interpreted as evidence of a settlement of that age in the area. Bronze Age archaeology is also present in the area. Numerous short cist burials have been found in the area, including one found in 1994 at West Scryne, one mile (1.5 kilometres) northeast of Carnoustie, that was radiocarbon dated to between 1730 and 1450 BC. The presence of Bronze Age round barrows at Craigmill is also indicated by cropmarks. From the Iron Age, perhaps the most prominent remains are of the Dundee Law Hill Fort, with the Iron Age fort at Craigmill Den being less well known. Near to Carnoustie can be found the souterrains at Carlungie and Ardestie, which date from around the 2nd century AD. Several brochs are also found in the area, including the ruins at Drumsturdy and at Craighill. Roman remains are also found in the area. Particularly notable are the temporary marching camps at Kirkbuddo, Marcus and Finavon, and Roman coins have periodically been found nearby. Pictish remains are to be found in abundance in the surrounding area. Class I sculptured stones from Aberlemno and Strathmartine can be seen in the McManus Galleries in Dundee while the class I Dunnichen Stone is on loan to the Meffan Institute in Forfar. A class I stone can also be seen in situ at Aberlemno, and this stone appears to be a recycled neolithic stone, having cup and ring marks apparent on its side. Class II stones can be seen at Aberlemno and Glamis and a much-misinterpreted class III stone (known locally as the Camus Cross) can be found four miles (six kilometres) north of Carnoustie at Camuston Hill on Panmure Estate. Linked in misinterpretation with the Camus stone is the early Christian Pictish cemetery that was situated to the West of the Lochty burn, in the vicinity of the High Street. The soil in this vicinity is sandy and was prone to wind erosion, and periodically human remains became exposed to the surface prior to the founding of the town. Popular interpretation was that a great battle had taken place at the site, giving rise to the legend of the Battle of Barry. The medieval period marks the earliest recorded history in the area. Arbroath Abbey was founded by William the Lion and dedicated in 1178 and the earldom of Dundee granted to David, Earl of Huntingdon around 1182 (Dundee later gained Royal Burgh status in 1292 on the coronation of David’s heir, John Balliol). Closer to Carnoustie, a number of medieval mottes can be found, including at Old Downie, where the thanage can be traced to Duncan of Downie in 1254, and at Grange of Barry, as well as the ruins of Panmure Castle where, it is said, William the Lion signed the Panmure charter granting the lands of Panmure to Philip de Valognes in 1172. The original castle was destroyed at some point in the Second War of Independence, possibly in 1336. The Parish of Barry was bestowed to the monks of Balmerino Abbey in Fife by Alexander II in 1230. The monks managed the lands from the Grange of Barry and latterly the land was controlled by the office of the Bailies of Barry, an early holder of this position being Sir Thomas Maule of Panmure in 1511. A number of feus were granted in the parish around that time, including Ravensby in 1539, Gedhall to David Gardyne in 1541, half of Barry Links and Cowbyres to Walter Cant in 1545 and the other half of the links to Robert Forrester in 1552. A document from around this time details the rent charged for each of the farms in the area, and it is in this that we see the first mention of Carnoustie: “The two part of Grange of Barrie 10s. land of ye same 9 aikers of badihill. And toun and lands of Carnussie set to ffairny for 25 li. 2s. 24 capons 20 puld.” The land was annexed by the state in the Protestant Reformation following an Act of Parliament in 1587 and the Bailiery of Barry was granted by James VI as a heritable gift to Patrick Maule in 1590. Ownership of the lands was granted by the King to James Elphinstone, Secretary of State in 1599 (ratified 1605), and was sold to George Maule, 2nd Earl of Panmure in 1667 (ratified in 1672) for £746 13s 4d. The land was forfeited following James Maule, 4th Earl of Panmure’s involvement in the Jacobite rising of 1715. The first recorded owners of the Barony of Panbride was the Morham family, whose ancestral name was Malherbe. They are first mentioned in relation to Panbride in the registers of Arbroath Abbey in a charter of John Morham made in the mid-13th century. It is thought that they had possession of the land until 1309 when Robert I conferred the land to his brother in law, Alexander Fraser, Lord Chamberlain of Scotland. Fraser died at the Battle of Dupplin Moor in 1332 and it is thought that David II conferred the barony (at least in part) to the Boyce family in 1341. The lands of Panbride were fragmented and passed through a number of hands from that point, and were gradually acquired by the Carnegie family, later to become the Earls of Northesk, in the 16th century. The lands were forfeited following the Jacobite rebellion but were bought back by James Carnegie in 1764. Carnegie used the lands to purchase lands near his main estate and the barony of Panbride passed to William Maule, linking Panbride with Panmure.

Origin

The lands of Carnoustie remained in the ownership of the Fernie family until the end of the 16th century. The Barry parish register attests to a small but thriving community based largely on linen weaving. The stimulus that triggered the expansion of the town was undoubtedly the sudden increase in demand for linen from around 1760.

Industrial history

Handloom linen weaving industry dominated Carnoustie’s economy through its early years. Flax was grown in considerable quantities in the area and supplemented imports from Riga and St Petersburg. The arrival of the Dundee and Arbroath Railway in 1838 encouraged major industrial growth.

Development as a dormitory town

Carnoustie is now a commuter town for Dundee, further boosting population growth. Nearly half of the employed population now commute to Dundee for work.

Tourism and recreation

Golf has been played on Barry links since the 16th century. A formal 10 hole golf course was laid out in 1850 to the design of Alan Robertson of St Andrews. In 1891, Arthur George Maule Ramsey, 14th Earl of Dalhousie, sold the links to the town on condition that they would be maintained as a golf course.

Carnoustie landmarks

At the far west end of the town is the village of Barry. On the north side of the road that runs through the village, to the west of the Barry Burn is the kirkyard and ruins of the old parish church. To the immediate east of this, a road heads north towards the old A92. Half a kilometre up this road, on the left hand side is the medieval motte associated with Grange of Barry, from where the monks of Balmerino Abbey managed the parish from the 13th century. On the other side of the road, a driveway runs towards the old Upper Mill, now simply known as ‘Barry Mill’, a water powered corn mill dating from 1815, when it was built on the site of a much older mill dating to the 16th century. The Mill is a Category A listed building and the nearby bridge which was part of the old road from Barry Grange to Panbride is Category B listed. Much of the western part of Carnoustie is post-war. The main road in this part of the town is known as ‘Barry Road’ and towards its eastern end there are a group of weavers cottages that pre-date the expansion of the town and used to belong to the hamlet of Hunterstown. Leading south from here, is Panmure Street, which leads to the Panmure Institute and, behind it, the Panmure Works. The Panmure Institute is now known as the Panmure Centre and owned by Angus Council for their Community Learning and Development Centre. The factory building was restored in the late 1990s and now houses the building firm DJ Laing. At the end of Barry Road, the road diverts to the north slightly at the Corner Hotel, before continuing eastwards along Dundee Street. This corner, which used to be known as Hutton’s corner, is where a rocky outcrop blocked the path of the plough when the road was originally marked out in the 18th century. The road heading north on the opposite side of Dundee Street is ‘West Path’. Its name comes from the fact it was the path that lead down to the main road from the western boundary of the grounds of Carnoustie House. Carnoustie House was built by Major William Philips in 1792 and bought by George Kinloch in 1808. It passed to Kinloch’s daughter, Cecilia Kinloch who, in turn, passed it to her niece, Helen Lingard-Guthrie. The house and lands were bought by the council in the first half of the 20th century and the house was demolished following a fire around 40 years ago. Carnoustie House Grounds is now used as a park and is where the annual town gala is held. Part of the land is now occupied by Woodlands Primary School, Woodlands Caravan Park and the town recycling centre. Continuing eastwards along Dundee Street from the foot of West Path, on the north side of the road is the small former St Annes Roman Catholic Church. On the south side of the road, are the large grounds of Kinloch Primary School, opened in 1878 as Carnoustie Public School and last used as a school in November 2008 during renovations of Carlogie Primary School. The buildings were demolished in 2010 to make way for affordable housing. Opposite the main part of the school is the former Erskine Free Church, which has been through a number of hands since it was sold off in the early 20th century and now houses All Stars sports bar, and beyond the school, heading south towards the beach is Links Avenue. On the left hand side of Links Avenue can be found the scout hut which, despite appearances, is the oldest school building in Carnoustie. The street passes through a narrow tunnel under the railway line to Links Parade near to Carnoustie Hotel, which was built in anticipation of the 1999 Open Championship. The hotel houses a 2.8 metre clock, weighing 450 kg, which was the largest timepiece supplied by Rolex at the time it was fitted. There are only 40 golf courses worldwide that have been given these Rolex clocks. Beyond the hotel lie the three golf courses of Carnoustie Golf Links. Past Links Avenue on the north side of Dundee Street Carnoustie Church, which never received its steeple and, a little further past that, is the ‘Auld Nick’ which originally housed Carnoustie’s police station. The war memorial lies adjacent to the Auld Nick and was dedicated in 1926. It features a sculpture of the Unknown Soldier by Thomas Beattie. On the opposite side of the road from the Auld Nick is Ferrier Street and a little way down on the right hand side can be seen Thomas Lowson’s Dibble Tree. Opposite the Dibble tree is Kinloch Street and, about 110 yards (100 metres) down that street on the north side, is the Erskine United Free Church, the oldest church building in Carnoustie, built in 1810. A short way past the war memorial on the southern side of Dundee Street is First Feu Cottage, Thomas Lowson’s original home in Carnoustie, and beyond that is the traditional centre of the town, the Cross, marking the intersection between Dundee Street, High Street, Queens Street and Park Avenue. Meeting High Street on its north side, Lochty Street leads up to the Church of the Holyrood in Maule Street. It is a Category B listed building, the only listed building within the town, and was built on land donated by Helen Lingard-Guthrie, who had recently married one of the clergymen who ministered to the nascent Episcopalian congregation during the early summer missions, Rev. Roger Lingard. At the easternmost end of High Street, the main road becomes Church Street, with Station Road heading south towards the main railway station and the adjacent Station Hotel, built in 1840. Opposite Station Road is the old City of Glasgow Bank building built in 1870 in Italianate style architecture that used to house the Clydesdale Bank. It is being developed into private accommodation. Church Street continues eastwards and at one time lead all the way to Newton of Panbride church in the former village of Gallowlaw. The junction with Carlogie Road was realigned some years ago and the part of Church Street east of Carlogie Road renamed Arbroath Road. Past the church, on the south side of the road, a road bridge leads to the former fishing village of West Haven, which pre-dates Carnoustie by several centuries. To the east of the town, in Panbride, is Panbride Parish Kirk. The building itself is category C(s) listed, although its burial aisle and the nearby parish school are both Category B listed The ‘Loupin’ on Stane’ a series of steps in the church courtyard that allowed churchgoers to mount their horses in a dignified manner have category B listing, as does the bridge over the Craigmill burn at the bottom of the hill. At the southern end of Craigmill Den, Panbride House has Category B listing, as does the associated stables.

Carnoustie geography / climate

Carnoustie occupies a seafront position on the North Sea coast of Scotland, on land immediately northeast of the Buddon Ness. The town lies 42 miles (68 km) NNE of Edinburgh and 360 miles (580km) NNW of London. The built-up area occupies a roughly rectangular shape measuring 2 by 1/2 mile (3 by 0.8 km) The land is relatively flat, rising gradually to around 30 m elevation to the north of the town.

You can visit Carnoustie places with Walkfo Carnoustie to hear history at Carnoustie’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Carnoustie has 29 places to visit in our interactive Carnoustie map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Carnoustie, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Carnoustie places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Carnoustie & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 29 audio facts unique to Carnoustie places in an interactive Carnoustie map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Carnoustie Places Map
29 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Carnoustie historic spots	Carnoustie tourist destinations	Carnoustie plaques	Carnoustie geographic features
Walkfo Carnoustie tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Carnoustie

  

Best Carnoustie places to visit

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Carnoustie has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Carnoustie’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Carnoustie’s information audio spots:

Visit Carnoustie plaques