Invergowrie
Coordinates: 56°27′37″N 3°03′40″W / 56.460303°N 3.061237°W
| Invergowrie | |
 Invergowrie
Invergowrie shown within Perth and Kinross |
|
| OS grid reference | NO347303 |
|---|---|
| Council area | Perth and Kinross |
| Lieutenancy area | Perth and Kinross |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUNDEE |
| Postcode district | DD2 |
| Dialling code | 01382 |
| Police | Tayside |
| Fire | Tayside |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| Scottish Parliament | North Tayside |
| North East Scotland | |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Invergowrie is a village on the north bank of the River Tay to the west of Dundee. Although formerly incorporated as part of Dundee, it is located in Perth and Kinross.
The old parish church, a roofless 16th century building currently in poor condition, survives on a mound in the old kirkyard, by the Gowrie Burn. This site was formerly close to the sea; much land has been reclaimed from the Firth of Tay in recent times, and it is now some way inland. This was an early Christian site, dedicated to St Curetán. An artistically important and well-preserved cross-slab carved on five faces from this site is on display in the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Dating from the early 9th century, the front shows a cross decorated with interlace, the back three stylised clerics, one holding an object which may be a charter with appended seal, above two dragon-like creatures.
This cross-slab was formerly built into a window of the medieval church, along with another smaller, damaged example, also now in Edinburgh (not on display).
A royal castle stood at Invergowrie in the reign of Edgar, King of Scotland (1097-1107), one of the erliest recorded castles in Scotland. It long ago became ruinous, and there are no visible remains.
The village is served by Invergowrie railway station and before the coming of the railway was known as Mylnefield Feus. The name Invergowrie referred to the mansion house of that name . The village grew up around the industries of stone quarrying and paper making. Stone was shipped from the quarry piers to build harbours and piers throughout Britain including parts of the Thames Embankment and Ipswich docks. The deserted quarries and quarry ponds have become an interesting wild life area.
The Cows of Gowrie, two boulders in the Firth of Tay near Invergowrie, are said in legend to approach the land at the rate of one inch a year, such that Thomas the Rhymer wrote "When the Cows of o' Gowrie come to land/The Judgement Day is near at hand".
On 22 October 1979 a rail crash occurred after a warning signal was ignored resulting in the death of five people and 51 injuries.
