castle
Glamis Castle
The childhood home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, steeped in legend and set in the scenic Angus region of Scotland.
24 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Brechin
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Brechin
Brechin is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Friockheim, 49km from Cairnwell Pass (A93, Glenshee).
Brechin is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 7,200 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Friockheim, about 10 km away.
Brechin (BREE-kin, ; Scottish Gaelic: Breichin) is a historic market town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin was described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese (which continues today as an episcopal seat of the ScottishRead more
Episcopal Church), but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era.
Nevertheless, the designation is often used, with examples being the City of Brechin and District Community Council, City of Brechin and Area Partnership, City of Brechin Civic Trust and Brechin City Football Club. Kinnaird Castle is nearby. Brechin is located slightly closer to Dundee than Aberdeen on the A90 between the cities. It is the fourth largest settlement of Angus, with a population of 7,186 in 2022.
Where to Stay in Brechin
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Brechin?
Within an hour or so of Brechin: Glamis Castle (24 km), V&A Dundee (36 km), Dunnottar Castle (37 km), Dunnottar Castle (inspiration for Brave) (37 km).
Are there any good drives near Brechin?
The nearest famous roads are Cairnwell Pass, The Lecht (A939 Old Military Road) and The Lecht Road (A939).
Where is Brechin?
Brechin is in Scotland, United Kingdom, about 10 km from Friockheim.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 7,230
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 56.7299, -2.6573
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Brechin
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
museum
V&A Dundee
Scotland's first design museum in a striking Kengo Kuma waterfront building, celebrating the country's rich design heritage.
36 km · about 40 min drive
castle
Dunnottar Castle
A ruined medieval fortress on a dramatic rocky headland on the northeastern coast of Scotland.
37 km · about 45 min drive
film location
Dunnottar Castle (inspiration for Brave)
The clifftop ruin near Stonehaven was a visual inspiration for Pixar's Brave and features in Zeffirelli's Hamlet.
37 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
St Andrews
Historic university town and home of golf, with a ruined cathedral, medieval castle and the world-famous Old Course links.
44 km · about 50 min drive
castle
Balmoral Castle
A large estate in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, serving as one of the residences of the British royal family since 1852.
49 km · about 55 min drive
famous road
Cairnwell Pass (A93, Glenshee)
The highest public road in Britain at 670m, climbing the Devil's Elbow route through Glenshee to Braemar.
49 km · about 55 min drive
mountain pass
Cairnwell Pass
The highest main road in Britain at 670m, where the A93 crosses the Grampians at Glenshee between Braemar and the ski centre. The famously steep Devil's Elbow hairpins lie just below the summit.
50 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Brechin
- 49 kmCairnwell Pass (A93, Glenshee)The highest public road in Britain at 670m, climbing the Devil's Elbow route through Glenshee to Braemar.
- 50 kmCairnwell PassThe highest main road in Britain at 670m, where the A93 crosses the Grampians at Glenshee between Braemar and the ski centre. The famously steep Devil's Elbow hairpins lie just below the summit.
- 63 kmThe Lecht (A939 Old Military Road)Notorious high crossing of the eastern Cairngorms on the 18th-century military road between Cockbridge and Tomintoul, climbing to 637m with roller-coaster gradients: often the first UK road closed by snow.
- 63 kmThe Lecht Road (A939)The Cockbridge to Tomintoul road, Britain's most reliably snowbound route, a rollercoaster over the Cairngorms' eastern edge.
- 73 kmQueen's View, Loch TummelA famous viewpoint on the B8019 looking west along Loch Tummel to the cone of Schiehallion.
- 75 kmCairngorm Mountain FunicularA funicular railway climbing high into the Cairngorms near Aviemore for panoramic alpine views and winter snowsports.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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