Kirriemuir
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-> Kirriemuir
The sandstone town of KIRRIEMUIR, known locally as "Kirrie", is set on a hill six miles northwest of Forfar on the cusp of glens Clova and Prosen. The main cluster of streets have all the appeal of an old film set, with their old-fashioned bars, tiled butcher's shop, tartan outlets and haberdasheries somehow managing to avoid being contrived and quaint - although the recent recobbling of the town centre around a twee statue of Peter Pan undermines this somewhat. Peter Pan's presence is justified, however, since Kirrie was the birthplace of his creator, J.M. Barrie. A local handloom-weaver's son, Barrie first came to notice with his series of novels about "Thrums", a village based on his hometown, in particular A Window in Thrums and his third novel, The Little Minister. Barrie's birthplace, a plain little whitewashed cottage at 9 Brechin Rd (April-Sept Mon-Sat 11am-5.30pm, Sun 1.30-5.30pm; Oct Sat 11am-5.30pm, Sun 1.30-5.30pm; NTS; £3), displays his writing desk, photos and newspaper clippings. The washhouse outside - romantically billed as Barrie's first "theatre" - was apparently the model for the house built by the Lost Boys for Wendy in Never-Never Land.
More on other notable residents can be found in the Kirriemuir Museum (Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs 1-5pm; free), in the old Town House on the main square. The oldest building in Kirrie, it has seen service as a tolbooth, court, jail, post office, police station and chemist; these days you can find two floors of information and exhibits on the town and the Angus Glens, including scale models of the town in 1604, the year the tolbooth was erected, and one of Glen Clova, showing the relief of the hills.
Kirrie's helpful tourist office is in Cumberland Close (July & Aug Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm; April-June & Sept Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; tel 01575/574097), in the new development behind Visocchi's in the main square. Accommodation is available at Crepto B&B, Kinnordy Place (tel 01575/572746; £40-50), or the respectable Airlie Arms, St Malcolm's Wynd (tel 01575/572487, www.airliearms-hotel.co.uk; £50-60).
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