MONIFIETH, a parish, in the county of Forfar
containing 3471 inhabitants, of whom 30S are in the
village of Monifieth, 6 miles (E. by N.) from Dundee.
The name of this place, written in ancient records Moniefiiith,
Monefidt, and Monefut, is of Celtic origin, signifying
"the moss of the stag", and is supposed to be descriptive
of the state of a portion of the parish in former
times, in connexion with the sport here carried on. A
deep stratum of moss, now covered by the sandy links
along the Firth of Tay, is the depository of many stags'
horns; and King David L, according to tradition, had a
hunting-seat here. The Culdees were in ancient times
settled at this place, and the remains of a religious edifice
that belonged to them were discovered in 1812, in digging
the foundations of the present church. There were
anciently the four rhapelries of Monifieth, Droughty,
Eglismonichty, and Kingennie, with some minor charges,
all which were ultimately consolidated into one parochial
benefice; and about the end of the twelfth century, Gilbert,
third Earl of Angus, gave the church of Monifieth,
with the churches of Murroes, Kirriemuir, and Strathdighty,
to the abbey of Arbroath. His countess, Matilda,
added the whole land on the south side of the church;
and afterwards, Monifieth continued to be dependent on
the abbey until the Reformation. The parish, which is
of an oblong shape, is bounded on the south by the Firth
of Tay, and is five miles long, and from one and a half
to three and a half miles broad; comprising 6054 acres,
of which 4574 are under cultivation, 926 in pasture,
chiefly links, and 554 in plantations. Its coast is about
three miles and a half in length, and is low and sandy,
without any harbour: numerous small craft and boats
run up the beech to land goods at ditfercnt places, and
are left dry upon the shore at the ebb of the tide. The
surface gradually rises from the Tay towards the north;
a ridge, partly cultivated and ])artly planted, crosses it in
the middle; and the lands attain at the northern extremity
an elevation of 500 feet above the level of the
sea. The climate is cold in the northern quarter, but
mild and salubrious in the south; and the scenery is
enlivened by the Dighty stream: this stream empties
itself into the Tay, and on its banks are several mills
and manufacturing^ works.
In the north the soil rests upon a cold tilly bed, but
is gradually assuming an improved character, under the
process of thorough-draining: from the eminences that
intersect the middle of the district, down to the shore of
the Tay, the land is rich and fertile, producing excellent
and very heavy crops. Every kind of grain, and the
nsual green crops, are raised. Large quantities of potatoes
especially are grown, of superior quality, and principally
for the Dundee market; and dairy-farming is
carried on to a considerable extent for the supply of the
same place. Little stock is reared in the parish. The
farms let on leases of nineteen years vary in size from
100 to 300 acres; there are two or three farms of less
extent, and a great number of allotments of not more
than five, ten, and fifteen acres each. Scarcely any land
capable of improvement now remains waste; the rent of
some tracts is only about £1, but that of the best about
£4, per acre. In the south the prevailing rock is whinstone;
that in the north is a superior kind of stone
adapted for pavement, and a quarry of which has been
in operation, it is supposed, for nearly 300 years. The
annual value of real property in the parish is £14,642.
Grange, the ancient seat of the Durhams, has been replaced
by a new mansion pleasantly situated about half
a mile from the shore; the old edifice was rendered
famous by the escape of Erskine of Dun, and for an attempt
of the same kind, that was nearly successful, of the
Marquess of Montrose, when on his way to Edinburgh
after his capture at Assynt. Linlathen is a large structure
on the banks of the Dighty; and at Laws a mansion
has been lately built, in an ornamental style, commanding
very fine views of the surrounding country.
Several villages formerly existed here, including two
of considerable size, called Cadgerton and Fyntrack or
Fintry, of which no vestiges now remain. The parish
at present contains the villages of Broughty-Ferry,
Monifieth, and Drumsturdy; and another populous village
is springing up on the links of Barnhill, Lord Panmure
having begun to let ground there on building-leases
of ninety-nine years. A few of the inhabitants are employed
in weaving: the yarn is generally brought from
Dundee, by persons regularly employed for that purpose,
who take it to the weavers around, and carry the work
back to Dundee. A spinning-mill, situated at the mouth
of the Dighty, and driven partly by water and partly by
- steam, occupies about 120 or 130 hands; and half a mile
fVX further up the stream is a bleaching-work, engaging
W asmany as 100 persons. A foundry, and some works for
making machinery, in the village of Monifieth, give occupation
to about 100 hands; and there is also an oldestablished
cart and plough manufactory. The salmonfishery
pursued along the coast, rented at £325, returns
about £740 a year; and the value of the white-fishing,
which is carried on chiefly bythe inhabitants of Broughty-
Ferry, a populous watering-place and fishing-village,
amounts to upwards of £5000 per annum: haddock, cod,
ling, soles, whiting, and other fish, are sent to the
Dundee market; and there is an establishment for curing
cod, at which a considerable quantity is prepared for
exportation. Broughty-Ferry also contains two ropeworks,
a brewery, and the other usual establishments
necessary for a large population. It is in very high repute
as a sea-bathing place; the houses are rapidly
increasing in number, and the population is upwards of
2000. The salubrity of the climate, the facility for
railway travelling, and the suitableness of the beach
for bathing, have also caused a considerable influx of
strangers into the village of Monifieth, and the want of
accommodation in the village alone prevents their numbers
from being greatly increased. The fuel in general
use is coal from England; but brushwood is also consumed
to some extent. The railway and the turnpikeroad
from Dundee to Arbroath pass through the southern
part of the parish, and the public road from Dundee to
Brechin skirts the north-western boundary. A sub-postoffice
is established in the village of Broughty-Ferry.
The principal market for the sale of produce is Dundee.
A fair used to be held every half-year for cattle, horses,
&c., which was at one time of some repute, but at length
dwindled away.
Ecclesiastically the parish is in the presbytery of
Dundee, synod of Angus and Mearns, and in the patronage
of Lord Panmure: the minister's stipend is £255,
with a manse, and a glebe of four acres and a half valued
at £12. 10. per annum. The church, built in 1813, is
situated at the southern extremity of the parish, on the
brink of the Tay, and contains sittings for 1100 persons.
A chapel, with accommodation for 720 persons, was
erected in 1826 at Broughty-Ferry, and now forms the
chapel of a quoad sacra parish: the minister, who receives
about £150 per annum, derived from seat-rents
and collections, is elected by the male communicants.
In the same village are places of worship for the United
Presbyterian Church and the Free Church. The parochial
school aifords instruction in the ordinary branches;
the master has a salary of £25. 13., with a house, and
about £35 fees. Two female schools, and a school for
infants, are supported by Mr. Erskine of Linlathen; and
there are two schools partially endowed; also a good
school in connexion with the church at Broughty-Ferry.
The parish contains two public libraries and two savings'
banks. There is a bequest of £100 Scots yearly, partly
for poor scholars, and partly towards the poor's fund.
Broughty Castle, situated on a rock jutting into the
Tay, near the western limit of the parish, is a very ancient
structure. It was garrisoned by the English after
the victory at Musselburgh, in 1547, as the key commanding
the river Tay, which is here about a mile broad.
After repeated attempts to reduce it, without success, it
was stormed and carried in 1550 by De Thermes, commander
of the allied army of the Scots, French, and
Germans, and was subsequently dismantled. All that
now remains is a large square keep, used as a signaltower
by the coast-guard. Upon the hill of Laws, about
the middle of the parish, are the remains of a vitrified
fort; and not far from this spot is the Gallow-hill of
Ethiebeaton. A little to the north of Linlathen is a large
heap of stones called Cairn-Greg, where it is said a
famous Scottish chieftain, whose name was Greg or
Gregory, fell in battle. On the summit of a small knoll
near Kingennie is a circle of large stones called St. Bride's
ring, supposed to have been a place of worship dedicated
to St. Bride, from whom the neighbouring parish of Panbride
took its name. See Broughty-Ferry.