About us

The recently elected Session Clerk of Brechin and Farnell Parish Church, David Adams, worked in the Education Service locally during all of his professional career. After teaching in Dundee Schools, he was appointed Principal Teacher of English in Arbroath Academy before becoming assistant Director of Education in Angus and subsequently in Tayside.
From Tayside he was appointed Principal of Aberdeen College of Education, the teacher education and social work education college. When Aberdeen and Dundee Colleges merged to form Northern College of Education and he was appointed Principal of the combined college. It was at this point that Ishbel and he moved in 1991 to the former manse at Farnell, midway between the two campuses. David is a keen fisherman and gardener.
Ishbel and David have two children, a son who is a surgeon in the Army, and a daughter who qualified as a dentist, and now works as an interior designer. Jane and her family now live in the former manse while her aged parents now live the Farnell Minister’s stables and byre.

After a varied career as an engineer in the Merchant Navy and Chemical Industries Peter moved to Brechin from the North East of England in 1979 along with his wife and daughters to work in the Pharmaceutical and Oil Industries often for both short and longer periods abroad. Within a few years he joined Southesk Church, as it was known then, and subsequently became a member of the Kirk Session. As a member of the Kirk Session he has been a District Elder, Property Convenor and Session Clerk, he is now Treasurer and Project manager for the Church’s Repair & Renewal Projects.

Dorothy has had a varied career starting straight from school to the TSB Bank and then spent 6 years as this church’s Office Administrator. Dorothy retired in 2021 from the local Health Centre. She previously held the post of Treasurer for 6 years and had been the Presbytery Elder 2016-2019.

Hailing originally from Strichen in the North-East, Ann has resided in Farnell for nearly 30 years.
Early married years were spent sailing the high seas in the Merchant Navy with her husband Robin.
Most of her career has been in retail; she was the founder of Highland Scene, the still very successful Kilt and Accessory business in Montrose, and Buth Tabhartas, an enterprising Jewellery and gift shop, also in Montrose.
Since her sale of these businesses, her time is devoted to her garden and managing aforementioned husband.
Ann and Robin have two children. Debbie is a wildlife conservationist and is well known within her `trade` as a leader in tiger conservation.
Son Stuart is a precision engineer working in the oil service industry and is currently residing in Norway.

Elizabeth is a Brechiner born and bred, in fact a “Tarantarian”, meaning from a local area of Brechin called ‘Taranty’. She has had a varied career working for a long time with the NHS, first at Stracathro and Ninewells Hospitals, then moving to Angus College, Dundee University and Montrose Day Care Centre. Elizabeth is enjoying the varied workload (which was in very small print in the job description)

Shena was born in Dundee, living also in Ferryden prior to her marriage, when she moved to Arbroath. Shena moved to Brechin in 1979. Her children Catherine, Dawn and Ray all attended Sunday school, bible class and music makers where Shena helped out. She became the Gardner cleaner in 1985 and when the Gardner were recruiting for the choir, she was happy to join. She is also a member of the Guild. Shena became Acting Beadle in 2015, a post she is still happily engaged in.

John was born and grew up in Aberdeen, eldest of three brothers, attending Sunday School in Middlefield Church then Bible Class and Youth Fellowship in a Church extension in Northfield where worship and all other activities took place in a wooden hut. After graduating and teacher training, employment took John in 1965 to Brechin. John joined the Gardner a few years later, serving first on the Congregational Board then as Convenor for Deeds of Covenant as ‘Gift-Aid’ was then known.