see of the Episcopal Church of
Scotland. In 1452 the earl of Huntly crushed the insurrection led by the
earl of Crawford at the battle of Brechin Muir, and in 1645 the town and
castle were harried by the marquis of Montrose. James VI. gave a grant
for founding a hospital in the burgh, which yet supplies the council
with funds for charity. No trace remains of the old walls and gates of
the town, but the river is crossed by a two-arched stone bridge of very
early date. The cathedral church of the Holy Trinity belongs to the 13th
century. It is in the Pointed style, but suffered maltreatment in 1806
at the hands of restorers, whose work, however, disappeared during the
restoration completed in 1902. The western gable with its flamboyant
window and Gothic door and the massive square tower are all that is left
of the original edifice. The modern stained glass in the chancel is
reckoned amongst the finest in Scotland. Immediately adjoining the
cathedral to the south-west stands the Round Tower, built about 1000. It
is 86-3/4 ft. high, has at the base a circumference of 50 ft. and a
diameter of 16 ft., and is capped with a hexagonal spire of 18 ft.,
which was added in the 15th century. This type of structure is somewhat
common in Ireland, but the only Scottish examples are those at Brechin,
Abernethy in Perthshire, and Egilshay in the Orkneys. Brechin Castle
played a prominent part in the Scottish War of Independence. In 1303 it
withstood for twenty days a siege in force by the English under Edward
I., surrendering only when its governor, Sir Thomas Maule, had been
slain. From the Maule family it descended to the Dalhousies. Its library
contains many important MSS., among them Burns's correspondence with
George Thomson, and several cartularies including those of St Andrews
and Brechin. In the Vennel (alley or small street) some ruins remain of
the _maison dieu_, or _hospitium_, founded in 1256 by William of
Brechin. Besides these historical buildings the principal public
structures include Smith's school, the municipal buildings, the free
library, the episcopal library (founded by Bishop Forbes, who, as well
as Bishop Abernethy-Drummond, presented a large number of volumes). The
principal industries include manufactures of linen and sailcloth,
bleaching, rope-making, brewing, distilling, paper-making, in addition
to nurseries and freestone quarries. Brechin--which is controlled by a
provost, bailies and council--unites with Arb