National Trust for Scotland (NTS)

The NTS are curators of three of Angus top visitor attractions; House of Dun, Barry Mill and the JM Barrie House.

JM Barrie’s Birthplace

J M Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, spent his childhood in this small whitewashed cottage in Kirriemuir, and it’s here that you can see traces of the creative spirit he was set to become.

The son of a weaver, Barrie lived with his seven brothers and sisters in two upstairs rooms, while his father’s weaving workshop was downstairs. The washhouse in the yard was Barrie’s first theatre – and may even have inspired the Wendy house in Peter Pan.

An exhibition tells the story of his life and work and includes the writing desk from Barrie’s London flat where he penned Peter Pan.

Barry Mill

Barry Mill is the one of a succession of corn mills built on the site, dating back to 1240. One of the last to remain operating in Scotland and today a rare example of a handful around the country to still survive intact, it was once, and still remains a living, beating reminder of what it was like to live in pre-industrial Scotland. Coming into the care of the National Trust for Scotland and opening to the public just over 25 years ago, a dedicated team of  locals and volunteers have kept this hub of community life working in harmony with nature. It is a place where technology, sustainable energy, townscapes and diets evolved. It’s beautiful burnside walks through the den to the waterfall are favourites of all who visit and many often surprising stories of changing people, professions & cultures, the fabric of the history that gave birth to the modern age are brought to life as the mill vibrates alongside our entertaining and insightful tours.

House of Dun Garden and Estate

Designed with Georgian pride and baroque extravagance by renowned architect William Adam, House of Dun is every bit the perfect 18th-century laird’s home.

It took 13 years to complete and the precision shows in the fine details. Joseph Enzer’s plasterwork in the saloon is masterful – classical tableaux and family emblems rise thickly from the walls and ceilings with filigree flourishes. Throughout the house, hand-stitched woolwork and embroideries by Lady Augusta FitzClarence, daughter of William IV and actress Dorothy Jordan, are equally impressive.

Downstairs in the kitchen see how the house was at the forefront of technology, with a labour-saving clockwork spit to make work easier for the cook and her staff. Finally, step into the wildlife-rich outdoors, where beautiful formal gardens are surrounded by acres of Montrose woodland.