Forfar, 1-5 Castle Street

Domestic and commercial properties in the central core of the town reflect Forfar's standing as the county town. The building on the corner of West High Street and Castle Street figure 25, for example, retains much of the character of an imposing, late eighteenth-century, three-storeyed building, with a centre gablet and doorpiece displaying original fanlight and woodwork. Next door, the County Hotel figure 23, built about 1800, has most of its original features, such as a fanlight doorpiece, with cill, lintel and moulded eaves courses and two small dormers. The original polished ashlar was revealed when the building's stucco finish was removed a few years ago. The building played an important part in Forfar life, as a three-storeyed coaching inn, in the days before the arrival of the railway. During renovation work at 1-3 Castle Street, an ashlar-constructed basement was found which has a stone bench running round three (or four) sides. The seat of the bench is polished stone with a round nosing and is very narrow. There are also the remains of stone steps which lead down into the basement (Paul Mitchell, pers comm).

Information from ‘Historic Forfar: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (2000).