Joseph Hume Statue

Standing in Montrose, this bronze statue commemorates Joseph Hume, the 19th-century radical politician and reformer who championed parliamentary change and workers' rights. It's a modest memorial - nothing grandiose - but the figure itself has real presence, and if you're interested in Scottish political history, it rewards a proper look.

Hume was a genuine firebrand in his day, arguing for free trade and electoral reform when those ideas were genuinely controversial. The statue sits in a town that clearly took pride in its local MP, and you can read the inscription to understand what made him worth immortalising. It's the sort of thing that takes fifteen minutes maximum, but it connects you to a specific moment when ordinary Scots were pushing for representation.

Truth be told, it works best if you're already in Montrose rather than as a destination in itself. The town has a proper harbour and some decent coastal walks if you fancy stretching your legs. If you're based at St Cyrus Holiday Park down the road, it's an easy run in - perhaps combine it with a wander round the town itself, which has more character than you'd expect.

Free to visit, obviously. Go during daylight hours when you can actually read the plaque without squinting. It's the kind of stop that history-minded visitors will appreciate far more than kids, though nobody's going to object to a five-minute detour.