GARDNER MEMORIAL CHURCH shares the two parishes of Scotland's smallest City with Brechin Cathedral and was in fact originally built to accommodate those who were unable to worship at the Cathedral.

The 'City' sits alongside the South Esk river and dates back to at least the 10th century when King Kenneth II gave the church a royal grant. The church was granted cathedral status around 1150 during the reign of King David and a royal charter granted in 1641 confirmed the status of the town as burgh.

Brechin expanded significantly with coming of the industrial revolution, when Flax spinning and weaving factories became its major employers. At an industrial peak in the 1880's the town had five linen factories, a paper mill, two flax mills, two bleachfields, two distilleries, a brewery, two saw mills and two nurseries.

Amongst its most famous sons Brechin ranks Sir Robert Watson-Watt, who made the largest single contribution to avaition safety with his invention of Radar whilst trying to develop a system for tracking rain clouds.

Although no longer a major industrial centre the town still retains an engineering a house furnishing factory as well as new business park catering for the service industries.