Robert Burns Statue

The statue stands in Montrose itself, a granite figure of Scotland's national poet catching the wind off the North Sea. Robert Burns, born in Ayrshire but celebrated everywhere, gets memorialised here with typical Victorian earnestness - all flowing cloak and contemplative gaze. It's the sort of monument you walk past a dozen times before actually stopping to look properly.

This isn't a major attraction that'll eat up your afternoon. You're looking at ten minutes maximum, maybe a photo if you're into that sort of thing. But if you're staying at St Cyrus Holiday Park just down the coast, Montrose itself is worth a wander anyway - decent high street, proper working harbour, decent fish and chips. The statue makes sense as a stop rather than a destination.

The real draw here is the walk around Montrose town centre. The statue sits in among the Georgian buildings and shop fronts, so you're getting a feel for an old Scottish market town that's weathered everything the North Sea can throw at it. Burns fans will appreciate the gesture, though serious Burns pilgrims head west to Ayrshire where he actually lived and worked.

Free to view, obviously. Go when you're in town picking up supplies or after fish supper. Don't expect anything beyond a moment's pause and maybe a quick read of the inscription. Weather up here can turn in a heartbeat, so bring layers and keep moving if the wind picks up.