The Belmont Estate, lying just outside Meigle on the road to Ardler, covers around 51 acres of parkland and woodland. The estate was originally known as Kirkhill and formed part of the lands of the Bishops of Dunkeld. 

In 1751 the property was purchased by James Stuart Mackenzie, Lord Privy Seal for Scotland and an accomplished amateur scientist. Roy’s Military Survey of around this date shows Kirkhill situated just south of Meigle, surrounded by enclosed park and planting, while much of the land beyond remained marshy and undeveloped. Mackenzie, an enthusiastic advocate of Enlightenment ideals and agricultural progress, devoted great energy to transforming his estate. Over the following decades he undertook a programme of agricultural improvement and tree planting, while also reshaping the grounds into the productive and ornamental landscape that can still be seen today. 

After Mackenzie’s death, the estate passed through several branches of his family before being sold in 1884 after a fire damaged the house. The purchaser was Sir Henry Campbell‑Bannerman, Prime Minister from 1905 to 1908, who made Belmont his home for nearly a quarter of a century. 

In the grounds of Belmont Castle, in front of the west end of the building, is a splendid old copper beech tree, known as Old Maggie or Maggie's Tree. The tree was a favourite of Sir Henry's who, it is said, used to sit under its branches discussing affairs of state or deciding what his next speech would be in the House of Commons. The girth of Old Maggie's trunk measures five metres and the canopy reached 25 metres. 

Following Sir Henry's death, the estate changed hands again, this time being acquired by Sir James Caird, the Dundee jute manufacturer and generous civic benefactor whose philanthropy gave the city landmarks such as the Caird Hall. Caird was to be Belmont’s last private owner. 

By the early 20th century, the cost of maintaining a country estate was rising while their economic and social role was fading. True to his reputation for public generosity, on Sir James’s death in 1916, Belmont Estate was gifted to Dundee Corporation. 

The stated intention was that the castle serve as a rest home for soldiers returning from war, and that the surrounding grounds be used for the general benefit of Dundee’s citizens. In practice there was some flexibility in how this was realised: the castle was leased to the Church of Scotland, which used it as an eventide home, while part of the estate was let to the Scottish Special Housing Association; its successor still operates today as Belmont Camp. 

In this way, Belmont escaped the fate of many country estates in the 20th century where houses were demolished, sold off, or conscripted into new uses as hotels and schools. Instead, it now serves a public purpose, its landscape evolving from private estate to shared community resource.  

Today Belmont Estate is owned by Dundee City Council and is a popular local amenity, frequented by dog-walkers and residents of Meigle village.  

The earliest known building on the site was a 15th century tower house, once a residence of the Bishops of Dunkeld. 

In the 1760s, James Stuart Mackenzie built a new country seat here, incorporating the old tower into his design - a rare survival that still forms part of the present structure. He renamed both house and estate Belmont, echoing the meaning of its older name, Kirkhill, and drawing attention to the house’s slightly elevated position. 

By 1791, the Statistical Account compiled by the Reverend James Playfair described Belmont Castle as “a modern edifice,” complete with a library containing a “select collection of books, chiefly mathematical, classical and historical.” 

The house was surrounded by gardens and “fine enclosures”, with an observatory nearby - a reflection of Mackenzie’s scientific curiosity and Enlightenment ideals. Playfair considered Belmont to be “the most delightful residence in Strathmore”, a judgment echoed by Stobie’s 1783 map, which includes an engraving of the estate, marking its prominence in the local landscape. 

The 18th century house suffered a severe fire in 1884 and was later purchased by Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who rebuilt and remodelled the castle, giving it the 19th century appearance seen today. He also improved the lodges at the estate entrances and enhanced the grounds. 

Local tradition recalls that Campbell-Bannerman would sit beneath the fine copper beech at the front of the house, known affectionately as “Old Maggie”, to reflect on political issues of the day - you can read more here - https://cateranecomuseum.co.uk/site/maggies-tree-or-old-maggie/  

After the estate passed from the Caird family to Dundee Corporation, a new chapter began. The castle was leased to the Church of Scotland and formally opened as an eventide home by the Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) in September 1931. 

By the 1950s it accommodated around 70 residents. For more than 80 years Belmont served as a home for elderly people - twice as long as the rebuilt house had ever been a private residence. Several of those who worked there still live locally. 

When the Church of Scotland closed the home in 2013, Dundee City Council was faced with the question of what to do with a large and costly historic building. Though Belmont is only seven miles from Dundee, it falls outside the city boundary and has been judged as being of little direct benefit to residents. Councillors have occasionally discussed selling it to release funds, yet the property remains unoccupied. Even with CCTV installed, the building suffered thefts of lead from its roof in 2020 - a sad reminder of the vulnerability of such heritage sites when they fall into uncertainty. 

Belmont Castle’s story, spanning six centuries of occupation, reflects both the changing fortunes of Scottish country houses and the perennial challenge of finding new life for old places. From episcopal tower-house to gentleman’s seat, from eventide home to neglected landmark, the castle now awaits its next stage of life. 

Meigle House may stand on the site of an earlier house as it contains many cellars below ground level. The present house dates from 1796.

A letter to the Dundee Advertiser of 15 February 1877 suggests that the Mansion House of Meigle and its surroundings, which were for some time occupied as an educational seminary for boys but whose lease was shortly to expire, was the perfect place to open a hydropathic establishment. Nothing more than a few letters, for and against the idea, materialised. 

Meigle House also seems to have operated as a 'Guest House' or 'Guester' from around the end of World War Two but closed its doors in the 1990s. 

The hospital was a gift from Mrs Cox of Cardean House to the village of Meigle. It was built in memory of her late husband, who died of pneumonia in 1913 at the age of 62, and opened for patients in 1922. The Cox family had extensive business interests in Dundee, and their name is memorialised by Cox’s Stack in Lochee. The hospital had an operating theatre, dispensary and four small wards. It was closed in 1994 and subsequently converted to a care home (Meigle Country House).

In 1876/7 Sir George Kinloch of Kinloch, Baronet, who was interested in all things historical connected to his estate of Meigle, found that creating a museum for the Pictish stones that were standing in the churchyard and those found buried under the floor of a demolished corn kiln at Templehall on the north side of Forfar Road opposite the church was not as straightforward a job as he had hoped. 

As a new village school was being built at this time, Sir George let it be known that when the old school, situated to the south-west of the churchyard, became vacant he wished to buy it so that a museum could be set up to protect these ancient stones. However, some of the locals opposed his idea as they said that they could see the stones at any time and did not think it right that they should have to pay to enter a museum to see them; they encouraged the idea that a better use of the old school would be to have it converted into a public hall. 

The old school was advertised for sale by public roup with the upset price for the building and its adjoining land set at £250. There were only three bidders when the auction took place in March 1877 but the competition proved to be exceedingly keen with the winning bid of £650 made by Mr Charles Boyd from Coupar Angus on behalf of Sir George and his associates. Sir George then had the stones moved into the old school. 

Sir George may have won the auction but his troubles were far from over as he was summoned to appear before the Presbytery of Meigle (a higher court than the Kirk Session) as he had moved the majority of the stones from the sacred ground of the kirkyard without the Church’s permission. Sir George solved this problem by offering the ground which the old school stood on to become part of the kirkyard and this was accepted by the church.  

Meigle Museum contains 26 Pictish carved stones, some large, some small and some only fragments of long lost stones. The stones demonstrate that Meigle must have been an important Pictish place from at least the late eighth or early ninth century until the late tenth century and the collection is one of the most important of early medieval sculpture in western Europe.

The museum is managed by Historic Environment Scotland, for more information see www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/meigle-sculptured-stone-museum/  and you can find more background on Meigle's Pictish heritage here on this website. 

Ardler War Memorial may be the first public war memorial of the Great War erected in Scotland. It was formally dedicated on 19 January 1919 but it was built in March/April 1918, while the war was still in progress. 

​The memorial is 18 feet high, built of Camperdown stone and consists of a cross resting on an octagonal pedestal. The names on the memorial are now badly weathered but, beside the memorial, there is now a marble memorial tablet, which was originally within the, now closed, Ardler Parish Church. 

The central face of the memorial is inscribed with the text 'To the Glory of God and in Memory of the Fallen in the Great War 1914 – 1919*; 1939-1945; Lord Have Mercy'. 

The faces on either side now commemorate 12 men who fell in the First World War, but there were only 10 names on the memorial when it was first erected. The names of two men from the Second World War were also added to these faces and their names also appear on the marble plaque. However, a thirteenth casualty of the First World War from the village also appears on the plaque. 

​On one of the other faces, the name of an airman from the village, who was killed in the conflict in Afghanistan in 2006, has been added. 

​* Although the conflict ended with the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the state of war was only rescinded with the Treaty of Versailles on 20 June 1919

The Meigle War Memorial is located at the entrance to Victory Park on Ardler Road in Meigle. 

It was designed by the Dundee architectural practice of John Bruce and Sons (later Bruce, Son & Morton) and was built in 1921. 

It consists of a round-headed arch of hammer-dressed stone under a tiled 'bonnet' or 'reverse-gambrel' roof. This is a roof with the pitch divided into a steep slope above a shallower slope. The arch is bordered on each side by recessed, curved stone bench seats. On each side of the gateway entrance to the arch is a marble memorial panel. 

​The plans for a War Memorial in Meigle were developed by a committee chaired by George Tasker of Arnbog Farm. The memorial was unveiled on 1 October 1921 by the Duke of Atholl. 

The hall was built in commemoration of the late Sir John Kinloch of Kinloch, who died on 20 May 1910. Sir John had been the laird of Meigle for 29 years, having succeeded his father to the estate in 1881, and he appears to have been a very popular laird who took a great interest in all things, both ancient and modern, concerning Meigle. At an Executive Committee meeting held at Meigle on 12 May 1911 his popularity was clearly shown as they were able to report that they had already received substantial subscriptions, and been promised sufficient money, to build a public hall in the village to his memory.  

Progress was fairly fast, as the hall had been built and a boxwood bordered garden laid out in front of it before the Countess of Airlie conducted the official opening on 9 August 1913. This was followed by a show by the Meigle and District Horticultural Society which was opened by Sir John’s son and successor, Sir George Kinloch of Kinloch.  

Not all activities at the hall were for pleasure however, as it was commandeered for military service during the Second World War: a report in the Dundee Courier and Advertiser of 10 June 1946 tells of a public meeting held there, stating that the meeting was held soon after the hall had been derequisitioned by the military. 

About three-quarters of a mile from the centre of Ardler on the road to Meigle there is a small cluster of houses. Facing the road there is a long stone building which formerly had steadings belonging to Mains of Camno Farm but is now divided into private houses. One of these houses has an interesting round building at the front, consisting of large windows between strong stone pillars, which must make a beautiful round room from within the house, but why is it there?   

The original purpose of this building was the farm’s horse mill. As farms did not have electricity until well into the 20th century, some farmers had to hire millers with their large portable mills, pulled by equally large coal-burning tractors to carry out their milling, while others whose farm was next to a river or stream were able to use the power of the water to drive their mill wheels. An alternative solution was to use the farm’s horse to provide the power and this was done by building horse mills as part of the farm.  

These horse mills were round buildings where the horses could be employed to go round and round turning the mill wheel. They usually consisted of strong stone pillars holding up a conical roof, but of course they would not have the lovely windows as we see on this example today. There are another two horse mills still used as farm buildings near Meigle: you can see the roof of one within the buildings at Todpark Farm, just after the bend while travelling from Meigle towards Alyth, while the other is clearly seen at Longlogie Farm about two and a half miles east of Meigle on the main road to Forfar. It is nice to see the Mains of Camno one restored and being incorporated as part of this house.     

Arthurstone is named after a large standing stone, similar to Macbeth's Stone, which was destroyed in the 18th century to make building material to build Arthurbank Farm. 

When the Cistercian Abbey of Coupar Angus was dissolved, the last abbot of Coupar Angus Abbey, Donald Campbell, ensured that Arthurstone stayed under the control of his family, so it was given to one of his five sons. 

It changed hands several times before being bought by James Smith of Camno in 1700, passing to George Nicoll from Jamaica, and then Captain James Rattray of Hook, Hampshire in 1789. Colonel William Rattray subsequently built the oldest part of the existing house in around 1795. 

It then passed to Ewan Cameron of Fassifern. His son, John, was a soldier who fought throughout the French Revolutionary and Peninsula wars. As Colonel of the 92nd of Foot (Gordon Highlanders), John was killed while leading a charge on an enemy stronghold at the Battle of Quatre-Bras on 16 June 1815, a key battle just two days before Waterloo. On 8 March 1817, his father was awarded the Baronetcy of Fassiefern and Callart in the County of Argyll and of Arthurstone in the County of Angus as posthumous recognition of his late son's distinguished military service. 

After a period in the hands of the McNabs, Arthurstone Estate was bought by Patrick Murray of Simprim in 1838. He made substantial additions to Arthurstone House which were designed by William Burn. Burn designed many grand buildings and monuments in his career, including Edinburgh Academy, Inverness Castle, the House of Falkland and more locally, Balintore Castle and Dundee’s Camperdown House. Curiously, a newly added wing was dismantled and reconstructed at Cardean House for Admiral Popham, Patrick Murray’s son-in-law. 

Patrick Murray died in 1855 and three years later the estate was bought by Lord Wharncliffe. In 1869, the estate was sold on again to Peter Carmichael, an engineer and partner in Baxter Brothers linen firm. He made further changes to the building, including installing gas lighting and adding a library and billiard room and redesigning the gardens. In 1875, Peter Carmichael also bought Mains of Arthurstone, Colbeggie, East and West Ardler, Camno Mill, Downham and Washington village.  

The contents of the house were auctioned by Christie’s in October 1990, after which the house became Butterstone Preparatory School. The school moved out in 2003 and the following year, the house was converted into flats. 

Kinloch House

Dr David Kinloch, who was the “Mediciner to His Majestie, James IV”, bought the lands of Aberbothrie, Bardmony and Leitfie from Patrick Lord Gray and then, in 1616, extended his estate by buying the lands of Over Balmyle. In 1685 the Kinloch Baronetcy of Kinloch (in the County of Perth) was created and the whole estate then became known as the Kinloch Estate. 

Sir James Kinloch, Dr David Kinloch’s great-great-grandson, raised the Second Battalion of the Angus Regiment to fight for the Jacobite cause in the, ultimately unsuccessful, 1745 rising. After Culloden, the Baronetcy of Kinloch was lost and James was condemned to death, although this sentence was later lifted. However, his son was forced to sell the Kinloch estate to his cousin, George Oliphant Kinloch. 

The Kinloch House that was owned by George Oliphant Kinloch was largely destroyed by fire in 1775 and needed to be rebuilt; the core of the current building - which stands further away from Balmyle Farm and the village of Meigle - was designed and built by George Kinloch in 1798. 

Remarkably, George Kinloch was proclaimed a rebel and an outlaw in December 1819, leading to him being known as “The Radical Laird”, but 13 years later, in December 1932, he was proclaimed as the very first MP for Dundee. 

Kinloch House was extensively altered and extended in 1865 by his son, Sir George Kinloch, who was later to become a baronet when the baronetcy of Kinloch was restored in 1873. 

The Kinlochs sold Kinloch House in 1939 when the Kinloch Estate, which at that time included much of Meigle village, was broken up. 

Kinloch Mausoleum

At the south side of the A94 road opposite the main entrance to the Kinloch Estate stands a red stone building which looks like a small church. This building is the private burial place, or mausoleum, of the Kinloch of Kinloch family. It is built on the site of the pre-Reformation chapel of St Mary. 

The architect who was employed to design the present building was a Mr Carver who built himself a cottage on land just to the west of the mausoleum that he named Carverfield. 

The first record we have of the pre-Reformation chapel is found in the mid-ninth century Register of St Andrews. It shows that it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is mentioned along with the church of St Peter in Miggil (Meigle). 

The ivy-covered ruins of this chapel were removed when the Kinloch Mausoleum was erected on the site in 1861 but this may include some part of the old building as it contains an alter that was the burial place of George Oliphant Kinloch who died in 1775, well before the present building was erected.

Kinpurnie Castle is a very clear landmark that can be seen from the Meigle Ardler Heritage Trail. 

Midway between Ardler and the crossroads leading from the A94 to East Camno Farm there is a z-bend where the road runs for a short distance in a south-easterly direction. If you look straight ahead (to the south-east) you will see a white mansion sitting on the tree-covered slopes in front of you - this is Kinpurnie Castle. Kinpurnie Castle is not an ancient building having been built in 1907/08.

Near Victory Park there is a site that was formerly used as the hub of the village plumber and slaters business, and which is now used by them as a storage area. If you look into the yard you will see a small building which is topped by a weather vane displaying a handsome dragon. This weather vane was rescued from the ruin of the old parish church by the Crichtons, who were the slaters in Meigle when the old church was destroyed by fire in 1869.

The Knights Templar was one of the oldest and wealthiest orders of knights in the world, their history going back to the early years of the 12th century. By the beginning of the 14th century, Pope Clement V suppressed the Order and had all Templars arrested, transferring all their possessions to the Hospitaler Knights of St John.  

But what does this have to do with Meigle and Ardler? 

On Forfar Road there is a house named Temple Hall. This house marks a piece of land which stretched along the north side of Forfar Road approximately as far as Fullarton Farm House, then across the field towards Meigle Burn. At its north end there was a large strip of land which curled to its left towards Cardean on the other side of the burn (this probably followed the original line of the burn). This piece of land was one which had been given to the Knights Templar, and thus the name has been retained in the name of the house built upon it.