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Welcome to Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society.

The Society is based at Montrose Museum and was formed in 1836, making it the second oldest Antiquarian Society in Scotland. It provides a focal point for those interested in the local history, archaeology, and the natural world of Montrose and the surrounding area.

The main activity for the Society centres around a series of talks that take place on the second Tuesday of every month between September and April.

These talks are open to all, not just to our members.

To see the full programme of talks for the season,  please click on the right.

We are happy to welcome our sister organisation — Montrose Basin Heritage Society — to our website.

Details can be found on the main menu.

Stop Press  April 2012

Forbes Inglis could be described as an expert in murder. Having told the story of murders in an around Montrose on previous occasions, on Tuesday evening he regaled members and friends of Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society with tales of two eighteenth century slayings in Forfar and Brechin.

The meeting was followed by the AGM where the Chairman, Duncan Macdonald, reported on a very successful year which saw the return of the Society to its ‘ancestral home’ at Montrose Museum for a series of well attended meetings. The same office bearers and committee were re-elected with the addition of David Dunkley as Treasurer, a post which had been vacant for the past year.

The speakers for the coming season were announced.

Dr Richard Fawcett will address the first meeting on Tues Sept 11th. His talk will be entitled ‘New Life for Scottish Castles’. He has published widely on many aspects of architectural history, but much of his career has been spent as Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Historic Scotland, giving him an insight into all forms of architecture in Scotland’s past.

Later in the year Dr Caroline Wilkinson of Dundee University will give a talk. She is a forensic anthropologist and has appeared frequently on television, working on the reconstruction of faces from human remains for archaeological and police investigations – bringing ancient victims back to life in a sense.

There will also be talks on a number of varied subjects, such as Ken Neil on saving Tayside’s red squirrels; Iain McIntosh on the History of Freemasonry in Montrose; David Strachan on the ancient logboat which was found at Carpow on the Tay; Rhona Rodger on whaling out of Montrose in past centuries, and a number of other interesting topics. The meetings will be held at Montrose Museum on the evening of the second Tuesday of every month from September to April.