MONTROSE, royal burgh, parish and seaport, Forfarshire, Scotland. It is 3o1 m. N.E. of Dundee by the L.N.E. railway and is also connected with the L.M.S. railway company's system by a branch to Dubton. Pop. (1931) 10,196. The town occupies a sandy peninsula, and is bounded by the North sea, the North and South Esk, and by Montrose Basin, a tidal lagoon about 7 m. in circuit. In the mouth of the channel of the South Esk lies the island of Rossie, or Inchbrayock, which is connected with the burgh by means of a suspension bridge and by a drawbridge with the south bank near the large fishing village of Ferryden. The harbour lies between the suspension bridge and the sea, and is pro vided with a wet dock. The links, with three golf-courses, are very fine, and Montrose is a popular resort. Flax and jute spin ning, ship-building, fish-curing, brewing and iron founding are carried on, and there are flour and saw mills and rope-works. The
fisheries are of considerable importance and there is a large trade, especially in timber (the chief import) and potatoes (the chief export). Montrose is governed by a provost, bailies and council, and unites with Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar and Inverbervie (the Montrose burghs) in returning one member to parliament, a district group that was represented for many years by John Morley. Montrose received its charter from David I., and was made a royal burgh in 1352. It was destroyed by fire in 1244.
Here Edward I. accepted John Baliol's surrender of the kingdom on July io, 1296. Sir James Douglas sailed from the port in 1330 bound for the Holy Land with the heart of Robert Bruce; and here, too, the Old Pretender embarked in 1716 for France. In 1745 the town threw in its lot with the Hanoverians.