Author : John Alexander ISBN : 9781840339680 Cover : paperback Price : £11.95
Brechin jis one of those towns you might visit, and you might wonder why all this is here, slightly off the beaten track. The answer lies in its origin as an early religious site, with its cathedral dating back over 1,000 years. A castle and a turbulent history followed, and after that, Brechin became a Royal Burgh and a market town, which in turn segued into its unlikely position at the forefront of the Angus linen industry using flax imported from Russia and northern Europe. Besides spinning, weaving, and bleaching linen, Brechin also had a whisky distillery due to its agricultural surroundings. The 19th century saw the town develop and grow further, and althought the photos in the book are mainly from the early 20th century, they reflect Brechin in the late years of this growth spurt. Since then, the weaving industry has closed, the cathedral downgraded to a parish church, the railway connection severed, and the town bypassed by the A90. The Caledonian Railway now operates the old branch line, which is just one way Brechin looks to reboot itself as a tourist destination.
