Airlie, Angus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Airlie
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 Airlie
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| OS grid reference | NO312514 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KIRRIEMUIR |
| Postcode district | DD8 |
| Dialling code | 01575 |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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Airlie (Scottish Gaelic: Iarlaidh) is a historic area in Angus, Scotland. It's a beautiful countryside spot with a rich past. Airlie is the traditional home of the Earl of Airlie, a noble title in Scotland. It's also where you'll find the famous Airlie Castle.
The area of Airlie includes smaller parts like Craigton of Airlie, Baitland of Airlie, and Kirkton of Airlie. Many ancient discoveries have been made here.
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Discovering Airlie's Past
Airlie is full of clues about its ancient history. You can find a large standing stone in a field near Baitland of Airlie. These stones were often placed by people long ago for unknown reasons.
Ancient Discoveries
Many old items have been found in Airlie. These include Pictish and Roman relics, like stone coffins. The local primary school is even thought to be built on the site of an old graveyard.
Airlie is also home to one of the best examples of a souterrain in Scotland. A souterrain is an underground passage or chamber, often built by ancient people for storage or shelter. In Airlie's souterrain, you can clearly see a carving of a snake on the ceiling! This shows how skilled the Picts were at carving.
The Story of Airlie Castle
Airlie Castle is a very important part of Airlie's history. While it's not open to the public today, its story lives on in Scottish culture.
The Bonnie Hoose o' Airlie
Airlie Castle is famous because of a traditional Scottish song called The Bonnie Hoose o' Airlie. This song is even mentioned in the well-known novel Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The song tells the sad story of the castle being burned down in 1640. This happened during a time of conflict in Scotland. The Earl of Argyll, who was against the king, ordered the castle to be destroyed. This was while the Earl of Airlie was away fighting for the Jacobite cause, which supported the royal family. You can still see some of the black, burned stonework on the castle today.
Some people believe that another castle, Forter Castle in Glen Isla, was the "bonnie hoose" that was destroyed in 1640. However, the song is still strongly linked to Airlie Castle.
Airlie in Other Songs
Airlie is also mentioned in another Scottish song, "Wha'll be King but Charlie?" This song was famously performed by the folk group The Corries. It's thought that Airlie was included in the song because it rhymes well with "Chairlie," which is a Scottish way of saying "Charlie."
