Birdies & Bridies
Long before the global gobble chains like McDonald’s and Burger King arrived on Scotland's shores, the humble Forfar Bridie and its east coast cousin, the Dundee Peh—were the country's fast-food, artery-furring staples.
The name “Bridie” may be rooted in ancient Celtic. It’s associated with meanings like “exalted one,” “fire goddess,” “strength,” and “virtue.” And here’s the legend who still makes them today…Scotland’s own Walker Cup captain, Sandy Saddler.
WALKER CUP CAPTAIN
Between 1959 and 1967, Sandy Sadler represented Great Britain in golf 14 times and Scotland on 22 occasions. He was the only GB player to win both of his singles matches in the 1967 Walker Cup, and captained the team a decade later in 1977. At home, he was a seven-time club champion at Forfar Golf Club, a course that clearly shaped his game.
Forfar Golf Club is a rolling inland track more akin to its seaside cousins due to its links-like terrain.
I had the pleasure of meeting Sandy a few years ago when I brought a group of journalists to write about the delights of Angus.
He shared tales from his storied career, including the time he was hired to teach the Sultan of Brunei how to play golf. Tempted to stay in that oil-rich paradise, Sandy was ultimately drawn back to Forfar and his family’s bridie empire. Who needs all the wealth of oil when you’ve got a world of bridies?
Landlocked Links
Sandy also returned to the golf of his youth, Forfar Golf Club winning the club championship seven times. Fittingly, Forfar Golf Club recently honoured its most distinguished member by naming its main lounge after him.
Just east of the little market town lies Forfar Golf Club, one of the oldest 18-hole inland courses in the world. Designed by Old Tom Morris and later reworked by James Braid, the course is one of the more unusual and underrated in the Home of Golf.
Its undulating fairways mimic links thanks to the land's prior use for drying flax—stacked in rows that shaped the ground into long, grassy swells.
You can read a more detailed report on Forfar Golf Club in our Signature Guide to Carnoustie Country.
Ancient Stones of Aberlemno
Just six miles (10 km) northeast of Forfar on the B9134, the Aberlemno Sculptured Stones offer a fascinating glimpse into Pictish history. The first of these intricately carved standing stones stands in the village churchyard, while three more line the roadside further up the hill. These early medieval stones are often described as "Pictish storybooks in stone," preserving myths, battles, and symbols from a people whose language and legacy still stir the imagination.
Forerunner of the Big Mac, your common-or-garden Dundee Peh—a hearty, no-nonsense meat pie beloved in the City of Discovery. Cheap, filling, and best enjoyed with a splash of brown sauce, it was the original fast food for generations of Dundonians.
