page_title: Montrose, Angus
section_title: Montrose Beach
hierarchical_section_title: Montrose, Angus / Geography and natural features / Montrose Beach
caption_attribution_description: English: Montrose Beach
context_page_description: Montrose is a town and former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Situated 38 miles north of Dundee and 42 miles south of Aberdeen, Montrose lies between the mouths of the North and South Esk rivers. It is the northernmost coastal town in Angus and developed as a natural harbour that traded in skins, hides and cured salmon in medieval times.
  With a population of approximately 12,000, the town functions as a port, but the major employer is GlaxoSmithKline, which was saved from closure in 2006. The skyline of Montrose is dominated by the 220-foot steeple of Old and St Andrew's Church, designed by James Gillespie Graham and built between 1832 and 1834.
  Montrose is a town with a wealth of architecture, and is a centre for international trade. It is an important commercial port for the thriving oil and gas industry. It is known for its wide thoroughfare and high street which
  leads to picturesque closes containing secluded gardens. The town has a view of a 2 mi square tidal lagoon, Montrose Basin, which is considered a nature reserve of international importance. It is the largest inland salt water basin in the UK, and an important habitat for the mute swan.
context_section_description: The 3-mile-long (4.8 km) sandy beach has been awarded a Blue Flag for its eco credentials. The surrounding Traill Pavilion and Seafront Splash! facilities with an arcade, a playground, a café and an ice-cream stall is popular amongst locals and visitors alike. North of the town the River North Esk enters the North Sea across the beach.
  The Save our Sands Campaign (SOS) was set up on 26 March 2009 to raise awareness amidst concerns over the erosion of Montrose beach, caused by the "one million tonnes of sand, swept by the tide into the harbour...removed from the local area over the past 25 years". In 2006 150,000 tonnes was shipped to Aberdeen to fortify its dwindling beach. This was met with opposition from Montrose Golf Links who believed that the golf course built on top of the dunes, as one of the oldest in the world, should be protected. The sand dunes are becoming unstable due to increasing tides which has forced the Montrose Golf Links to consider moving elements of the golf course more inland.  A major scheme of engineered coastal protection was discouraged by Scottish Natural Heritage on the grounds that it would be unsustainable and could impact a protected coastal site at St Cyrus.
  A film made by local broadcaster Anthony Baxter in January 2009 highlighted the issue and was designed to attract attention for urgent action and put pressure on local politicians. The group are concerned that Angus Council are not acting efficiently to halt the effects of erosion and believe a full study should be carried out. The film won the best short film category in the BFFS Community Cinema Festival in 2009. Since 2009 a team from the University of Dundee has begun assessing the coastline around Montrose in a two-year study to decide the best way of managing coastal erosion. The film titled "SOS Montrose Dredging" has been posted on YouTube.
caption: Montrose Beach
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