In 1807, the 8th Lord Kinnaird decided to leave his abode at Drimmie House, and build a great new mansion up on a terrace in his splendid park-land, under Rossie Hill. Unfortunately the old village of Rossie seems to have offended his sensibilities. Not that it cluttered the site, being fully half a mile away to the east, and not very evident from the new palace. But these were the days of great lords and large gestures, and for better or worse the village was bodily removed a mile to the west. Oddly enough, the old market cross was left behind, and still stands in lonely splendour by its burnside in the open parkland, with the former village church, now the family burial-chapel, on the yew-clad hillock behind. The cross has a four-stepped plinth, and on top of its shaft is a highly unusual finial in the form of four lions and unicorns back-to-back, beneath inscribed R.H. and K.G. 1746. The significance of these initials is not clear. A single standing-stone projects from the turf a few yards to the west, which also must have been in the village street. The Kinnairds' chapel is kept in good repair, and within, amongst the memorials of the family, is a splendid Celtic cross-slab, highly decorative, with horsemen, animals and intricate ribbon ornamentation. These cross-slabs, another of which stands at St. Madoes Church, 9 miles to the south-west, date from the period A.D. 800-1000, it is thought, and are of Celtic-Pictish origin.

Rossie Priory itself, standing in a magnificent position in finely-rising parkland, is still a most handsome mansion although greatly reduced in size in recent years. It contains many treasures, and remains the seat of the Lords Kinnaird. Highly unusual is the pend which passes through the middle of the house, so that a visitor may drive right through from one side and driveway to another. The predecessor of this great house and Drimmie also, is the red-stone, late 16th century castle of Moncur, which still stands in a ruinous state, within the estate, about a mile to the south, near an attractive pond and visible from the main A.85 road. It has been a fine fortalice, liberally equipped with gun-loops, built on the Z-plan, with a notable hall fireplace and great chimney-stack therefor.

To the east of Rossie, in a field, is another monolith called the Falcon Stone, allegedly one more of those landmarks which the Hay's hawk alighted upon, after the Battle of Luncarty in 990, in its over-flying of the lands the Hays were to gain as reward for their part in the battle-an active and useful bird. Probably, however, the stone has a much earlier significance.

Behind wooded Rossie Hill is the estate hamlet of Knapp, tucked away in a quite secret valley threaded by a side-road. Here is an unusual feature - a 17th century doocote turned into a cottage. Farther north, on the high ground of Dron, is a Pictish fort on the hilltop. And to the east, at the farm of Dron, are the ruins of a 12th century chapel, formerly attached to Coupar Angus Abbey. Only two gables remain, by the burnside, but that to the west has a fine, tall pointed archway.
North of this point, the land climbs to a high and lonely moorland plateau area, part of Longforgan parish, around the 65o-foot contour, scattered with ancient Scots pines and other wind-blown trees, gorse and heather. In its remote centre is the small loch of Redmyre. It is hard to believe that this lofty wilderness is only 7 miles from busy Dundee.

If you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized small group tour of my native Scotland please: