Salvation Data 0800 075 0720

Monifieth
Scottish Gaelic: Monadh Feith
Scots: Monifieth
Monifieth High Street
Monifieth  Monifieth shown within Scotland
Population	est. 8,180[1] (2006)
OS grid reference	NO496323
- Edinburgh	42 mi (68 km) SSW
- London	367 mi (591 km) SSE
Council area	Angus
Lieutenancy area	Angus
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DUNDEE
Postcode district	DD5
Dialling code	01382
Police	Tayside
Fire	Tayside
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Dundee East
Scottish Parliament	Angus North East Scotland
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Monifieth

As a settlement, the town dates as far back as Pictish times, and remained a small village until the early 19th century when it grew due to the expansion of the local textile industry.

Monifieth can be considered a dormitory town for its closest city, Dundee, which is 6 miles (10 km) to the west. It is served by Monifieth railway station and its nearest major road is the A92.

The name Monifieth is generally taken to derive from the Gaelic Monadh Feith, 'Hill of the deer'.^[2] An alternative etymology Monaich Fother, 'Monks' Land' has been suggested, which holds some appeal due to Monifieth's early status as a possession of the Culdee monastic order.^[3]

'Monifieth' has been given various spellings over the years, including 'Monifođ'/'Monifod', 'Monifoth', 'Munifođ',^[4] 'Monyfuthe',^[5] 'Monyfuthie',^[6] 'Monyfaith',^[7] 'Monyfuth',^[8][9] 'Monifuth',^[10] 'Monifeith',^[11] 'Monyfeith',^[12][13] and 'Monyfieth',^[14][15] before becoming standardised as 'Monifieth' on publication of the first edition of the Ordnance Survey maps.^[16]

The area surrounding Monifieth has been occupied continuously since the Mesolithic period. Midden pits of that age have been found nearby at Stannergate, and worked flints apparently of that age have been found at Balmossie. More tangible evidence for settlement can be found from the Neolithic period, for example with the Cursus monument, identified from cropmarks near Woodhill, between Monifieth and Carnoustie.^[17] This cursus is of a similar scale to the well characterised, mid 4th century BC enclosure found nearby at Douglasmuir near Friockheim.^[18] Numerous stones incised with cup and ring marks have also been found in the surrounding area.^[19][20][21]

Approximately 1 mile to the north of Monifieth lies Laws hill, on which lies the Iron age ruins of a Broch and vitrified fort.^[22] These ruins are much reduced as the stone from their walls has been used on the estate for construction of dykes and drains, well into the 19th century,^[23] and while very little remains of the structure today^[24] tradition recorded in 1842 attests to the walls being 5 foot tall at the beginning of the 19th century.^[25] Artefacts found at and around the site include a quantity of gold coins, iron spear heads and a stone lamp.^[26]

One artifact found near Laws Hill (but now lost and only known from an illustration) is that of a Pictish crescent plate, found in a cist grave which incorporated a later Norse Younger Futhark runic inscription (MKITIL:THA[...])^[27] This find is particularly intriguing in light of the paucity of Viking archaeology in this part of Scotland.^[28]

Domestic remains from the late Prehistoric period can also be found in abundance in the area. Perhaps most well known are the souterrains at Carlungie and Ardestie,^[29] but cropmarks point to other settlements of that age, for instance at Woodhill.^[30]

Prior to the thirteenth century, the church and lands of Monifieth were possessions of the Culdee monastic order.^[31] The church was endowed to the recently founded Arbroath Abbey by Gille Críst, Earl of Angus around 1201-1207^[4] and the lands to the south of the Church (now much reduced in size due to erosion) in 1242-1243 by Matilda, Countess of Angus.^[31] A hoard of 700 coins dating to the reigns of Edward I and Edward II were found in this area in 1854.^[32]

The present building of St Rule's Church (built 1812) originally incorporated three Class II Pictish standing stones, recycled as building stones, including one that had previously been used in the pre-reformation building it replaced.^[33] These were removed in the mid 19th century and, along with a fourth stone found in an adjoining garden, were donated to the National Museums of Scotland in 1871.^[33][34]

Monifieth remained a small village, comprising a number of turf huts until the early 19th century.^[31] In the eighteenth century, the economy of the parish was mainly dependent on agriculture. Other industries included quarrying, weaving within the home and the start of manufacturing of linseed oil at a water-powered mill by the Dighty burn,^[35] supporting a small community, 'Milltown',^[13] later named as 'Milton of Monifieth'.^[36] Although Monifieth had no harbour, a considerable amount of cargo from coastal vessels was off-loaded on the sands at low tide and moved by horse-drawn vehicles to nearby destinations.^{[citation needed]}

The village gradually expanded following the introduction of larger scale industries to the area, including manufacture of machinery for flax mills in 1811.^[31] The rise of the local linen and (later) jute industries and the revival of the foundry, saw workers pouring into the town and the population grew from 558 in 1861 to 2,134 in 1901. In 1895 Monifieth was registered at Forfar Sheriff Court as a burgh. With the formation of a Council and Officials, it progressed into the next century as a reasonably desirable place to live.

Monifieth railway station opened on 6 October 1838.

A tramway service was introduced in 1905, with cars journeying into Dundee City centre at regular intervals. This service was welcomed by the many who travelled daily either from the Burgh into the City on business, or the many hundreds who commuted daily to work in the factories and mills.

Monifieth is represented within Angus Council by the Monifieth & Sidlaw Ward, from which three councillors are elected. The members elected from this ward are, as of 2009: Councillor Jean Lee (Scottish National Party), Councillor John R Whyte (Conservative Party) and Councillor Margaret Thomson (Labour Party).^[37]

The town is part of the Dundee East constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which returns a Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons, at Westminster. The constituency's MP is currently Stewart Hosie of the Scottish National Party.^[38]

Monifieth is also part of the Angus constituency of the Scottish Parliament, which has significantly different boundaries to the Westminster constituency. The constituency returns a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) to Holyrood directly, and is part of the North East Scotland electoral region with regards to additional Members of the Scottish Parliament. The constituency's MSP is currently Andrew Welsh of the Scottish National Party.^[39]

Monifieth's status in Angus Council has long been the subject of debate, with Dundee City councillors arguing that it should be part of Dundee Council in order to subsidise Dundee City Council Tax revenues.^[40]

Initial moves were made by the council of Dundee to annex the burgh into Dundee's boundaries nearly a hundred years ago. In 1913 a petition signed by the residents of Monifieth was presented before Parliament in London and successfully retained Monifieth's independence. The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 redrew the council boundaries and Monifieth became part of Dundee City Council in 1975.

In 1996, after Local government reorganisation, Monifieth became part of the Angus council area, after being part of Dundee District in the Tayside region for 21 years.

Monifieth occupies a position on the North Bank of the Firth of Tay on the East Coast of Scotland, on land immediately to the West of the Buddon Ness, 6 miles (10 km) E of Dundee,^[41] 10.3 miles (17 km) WSW of Arbroath^[41] and 11.3 miles (18 km) S of Forfar.^[41] The town lies 38.4 miles (62 km) NNE of Edinburgh^[42] and 360.3 miles (580 km) NNW of London.^[43] The built-up area occupies a roughly rectangular shape 1.2 miles (2 km) long by 0.7 miles (1 km) wide, aligned in a ENE direction. The land is relatively flat, rising gradually to around 50m elevation to the North of the town at South Grange.^[41]

The town occupies the southern part of the Parish of Monifieth, at the South Western most corner of the county of Angus, and incorporates a number of former villages and Hamlets, including Ashludie, Milton and South Grange. Contiguous to the town, on the West side of the county boundary, is Barnhill and Panmurefield Village and the Dundee conurbation. To the East is a 2.7 miles (4 km) expanse of rural land between the town and the village of Barry and town of Carnoustie. This rural area includes a number of farmsteads and Hamlets, including Lucknow, West Cotside, Ardestie, Balhungie and Woodside, as well as the Monifieth golf courses and Panmure golf course.

To the south of this, on the southern side of the railway, is the peninsula of the Buddon Ness, on which lies the Ministry of Defence owned Barry Buddon training camp. This land is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.^[44][45]

The Buddon Ness is a triangle of land around 11 km².^[46] Its position at the estury of the River Tay makes it prone to erosion, and the position of both the West and East facing shores have changed considerably over the years. Comparison of Ordnance Survey maps from the mid-19th century with present day maps show the shoreline retreating on the West shore and advancing on the East shore.^[47]

To the North of the town runs the A92, between Dundee and Arbroath. Beyond this lies the farms of North Grange, Balmossie and Ardownie and Ethiebeaton retail and leisure park, as well as Roman Hill, Gallow Hill and Laws Hill. The Dundee and Arbroath Railway runs along the South of the town, separating the built up area from the Blue Seaway leisure area and the two caravan sites. The A930 runs through the town East to West from Barry to Barnhill.

The Western political boundary of the town is marked by West Grange Road, leading south from the West Grange roundabout on the A92, the cycle track that goes from West Grange Road over the Seven Arches viaduct over the Dighty Burn (once part of the Dundee to Forfar Railway), around Monifieth High School grounds, between Inchkeith Avenue and Balmossie Place, and down North and South Balmossie Street to the river bank.

Accurate demographic information for Monifieth is complicated by the fact that the town was included in the Dundee locality in the 2001 census. Estimates from 2006 put the population at 8,180.^[48]

Almost 2,400 Monifieth residents (approximately 29% of the population) travel to work or study in Dundee.^[49] Assuming the figure of 73% in Angus being between the ages of 16 and 65^[50] holds for Monifieth, this represents a figure of 40% of people of working age.

Monifieth's proximity to Dundee is a key feature of its economy, with around 40% of people of working age commuting there for work or study.

Monifieth has a small retail and leisure complex at Ethiebeaton, to the North of the town as well as a shopping area within the town centred on the High Street.

Tourism plays a significant role in Monifieth's economy and has benefited from the area's associations with golf, particularly following the recent return of the Open Championship to nearby Carnoustie.

Ethiebeaton Quarry is operated by local firm Enstone Thistle.

To the east side of the town there is the Dichty Water, which is known as a 'burn' in Scotland. Two mills are known to exist beside the burn. The Milton Mill opened in 1788 and was part of the Milton industrial area. The area housed carpet factories, cotton and flax factories and also served as an army barracks during WWII.^[36] Between 1905 and 1935, the mill served as a tram station, taking passengers to and from Dundee. The Milton Mill suffered significant fire damage in June 2006. The Milton Mill and the surrounding buildings were commisioned to be demolished and rebuilt into apartments after the fire. The mill itself, is not permitted to be demolished as it is a listed building. The Balmossie Mill, the smaller of the two mills, was a water mill. Remains of a water wheel and machinery is evident. The exact date of the building is unknown but in 1692 two local men were recorded by local newspapers for poaching. Both of the mills are Grade B listed buildings.^{[51] [52]}

The A92 runs between Arbroath and Dundee immediately to the North of Monifieth. There are several ways to reach the A92, including: the B962, which links to the A92 at the Ardestie junction; Victoria Street, which links to the A92 at the Ethiebeaton Park roundabout; and via the West Grange Road roundabout. The other main road route from Monifieth is the A930, which leads Westwards to Dundee via Barnhill and Broughty Ferry and eastwards to Carnoustie, and is named Ferry Road, Maule Street, High Street and Panmure Street.

Trains are operated by First ScotRail on the Edinburgh to Aberdeen line. There is at present only a token service, stopping only once a day each way at Monifieth Station (0623 West-bound and 1906 East-bound).

Buses are operated by Stagecoach on their Arbroath-Dundee route, including the number 73 and 73A buses, and the number 39A (early weekday mornings, evenings and on Sundays). They operate on a regular basis, with most stopping at bus stops along the main A930 road. Additional services operate via Ashludie Hospital and Ethiebeaton Park, including the 75 service (which stops at Ethiebeaton Park) and the 78 and 79 services (which go on towards Wellbank, Newbigging and Monikie). Stagecoach buses provide timetables online.^[53]

There are currently two primary schools located in Monifieth and one secondary school. The schools are Grange Primary School, Seaview Primary School and Monifieth High School. Between them, they have approximately 1700 pupils. Seaview Primary School is the oldest of all three schools, although it was formerly a secondary school. It had 342 pupils and 19 teachers (as of September 2007).

Monifieth High School was founded in 1976 and has a catchment area of Monifieth, Birkhill and other rural areas of Angus including Newbigging. During the school's thirty-three years, there have only been three headteachers. Many of the school's facilities have just recently been renovated, including new windows and several extensions. A new "community wing" has been planned for the school to allow the local community to become more involved in school life.

Monifieth has two golf courses, The Medal and The Ashludie. The Medal course was used as a qualifying course for the Open Championship in 2007.

Monifieth Athletic is a football club that plays in the Dundee and District Youth Football Association with players up to the age of 16. They play at Riverside Park in Monifieth.

The Blue Seaway is a development on the seafront that was opened in 2003 at a cost of £800,000. It incorporates an adventure play ground, skate park, putting green and tennis courts.^[54]

Monifieth and the surrounding area is supplied with water by Scottish Water. Water was supplied from Crombie reservoir until 1981.^[55] Since then, along with Dundee and parts of Perthshire, Angus has been supplied from Lintrathen and Backwater reservoirs in Glen Isla. Electricity distribution is by Scottish Hydro Electric plc, part of the Scottish and Southern Energy group.

Waste management is handled by Angus Council. There is a kerbside recycling scheme that has been in operation since May 2006. Cans, glass, paper and plastic bottles are collected on a weekly basis. Compostable material and non-recyclable material are collected on alternate weeks.^[56] Roughly two thirds of non-recyclable material is sent to landfill at Angus Council's site at Lochhead, Forfar and the remainder sent for incineration (with energy recovery) outside the council area.^[57]

A recycling centre is located at Riverview Drive. Items accepted include, steel and aluminium cans, cardboard, paper, electrical equipment, engine oil, fridges and freezers, garden waste, gas bottles, glass, liquid food and drinks cartons, plastic bottles, plastic carrier bags, rubble, scrap metal, shoes and handbags, spectacles, textiles, tin foil, wood and yellow pages. Angus council publishes details of where and how each product is processed.^[58] There is also a glass bank at the Tescos car park.^[59] The Angus Council area had a recycling rate of 34.7% in 2007/08.^[56]

Healthcare is supplied in the area by NHS Tayside. The nearest hospitals with accident and emergency departments are Arbroath Infirmary^[60] and Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.^[61] Primary Health Care in Monifieth is supplied by Monifieth Medical Practice which is based at the Health Centre on Victoria Street^[62] Monifieth, along with the rest of Scotland is served by the Scottish Ambulance Service.^[63]

Law enforcement is provided by Tayside Police^[64] and Monifieth is served by Tayside Fire and Rescue Service.^[65]

Soyaux, France (1994)^[66][67]