The Ferry Files – Left alone

Saturday 23rd September 1893 had been a beautiful day, warm but not too warm; a great day to sit out in the garden all afternoon, which is exactly what Mrs Tolmie had been doing with her 7-year-old daughter, Bella at their home at Links Cottages, Broughty Ferry. Mr Tolmie, a gardener, had been away all […]

The Ferry Files – Candle, candle, burning bright

It was later in the morning, around 11am on Saturday 23rd September 1898, when some of the residents became alarmed at the very strong smell of smoke. It became apparent to them very quickly that the smoke was coming from the home of 82-year-old Mary Groat. Mary had lived in the property with her younger […]

The Ferry Files – Eye, Eye

Thomas Fenton, a spirit dealer from Broughty Ferry, seemed to have it all. At 40 years of age, he had a successful business, was one year into his marriage to the love of his life and lived with her in their lovely wee house on Fort Street, Broughty Ferry. In the autumn of 1881, after […]

The Ferry Files – A Frozen Christmas

Retiree John Crow and his wife Annie were enjoying a day at home on 25th December 1878, when John decided that he was going to go out for a walk. His wife insisted he stay at home, as the weather was awful and it was already dark outside despite it being only 3pm. Now, before […]

Summer holiday with Dad

Under the scorching sun of a sweltering Saturday in July 1889, David Anderson, a 74-year-old retired weaver, found himself amidst the throngs of passengers cramming into the train departing from Perth to Broughty Ferry. Every July, during Perth’s midsummer break, those fortunate enough would flee the town in pursuit of a summer getaway. The allure […]

The Mystery of the Touring Ghost

From Blairgowrie to Arbroath, a spine-tingling tale once captivated the locals and stirred up a flurry of excitement. It all began when a mischievous ghost embarked on a mysterious tour, leaving a trail of bizarre antics in its wake. The extraordinary occurrences caught the attention of the community, prompting eager residents to share their eerie […]

Broughty Ferry memorial mystery.

There’s a fairly curious tale concerning a certain metal plaque erected on a wall in Victoria Road in Broughty Ferry; a tale filled with sadness which alludes to the altering of the course of history itself.  How could such a wee place like Broughty Ferry lay claim to a tale of such magnitude, we hear […]

What to do with a dead elephant?

Dundee is known as a place of scientific research and discovery, but here’s one local scientist you might not have heard of.

Broughty Castle

Completed around 1495, the site had been earlier fortified in 1454 when George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus received permission to build on the site. His son Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus was coerced into ceding the castle to the crown.